


The Immortal Queen

by NarcissisticPrince



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Everybody Lives, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Human-Werewolf Interactions, Hurt Stiles, Implied Mpreg, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kid Fic, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Nice Peter, Omega Stiles Stilinski, Other Pack(s), Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Revenge, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski's Name is Genim, The Hale Pack - Freeform, Top Derek Hale, Top Derek Hale/Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Uneasy Allies, sterek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-25
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-02-26 23:30:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2670446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NarcissisticPrince/pseuds/NarcissisticPrince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being so horribly wronged by his pack, Stiles is kidnapped by Deucalion and never heard from again. 16 years pass and Stiles is pronounced dead. Chaos is in the uprising by a new enemy people call 'The Immortal Queen'. She has conquered many territories and is feared by all, but no one really knows much about her. Who is this new threat? What are her true motives? The Hale pack has every right to fear the uprising Queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.

It had started with Derek's verbal abuse towards him. He and Derek hardly had the best relationship since their first encounter so his words was something Stiles had become accustomed too. Everyone would stand up for him and make Derek feel like dirt. Stiles was grateful for what they did, honest. What better way to show him that they cared than by having his back?   
  
However, what Stiles never thought that it would go from it being just Derek to it slowly change into Boyd harassing him. Lydia treating him like shit, well more than usual. Isaac constantly remarking about how stupid he was and how he never shut up. Allison rolling her eyes at him and raising her voice at him. Erica's shoving, Jackson's teasing, heck, even his best friend, Scott, was doing it and that hurt him even more.  
  
He had quickly been bumped down several positions. The omega, the unwanted and outcast of the pack. That's who he was now, and that made tears build in his eyes every time he thought about it.  Every time he was near the pack he had the urge to fiddle with his fingers, or grip onto his shirt. He felt nervous, afraid, and anxious.   
  
During pack meetings, he was slowly realizing how further away he was allowed to sit. It didn't really bother him at first because it had meant, the less harassment he would receive from the pack but now his place was in the kitchen, yards away from the living room and making food to feed the pack.   
  
Stiles heart ached, even more than it did every time Lydia had rejected him in the past. He could feel his heart painfully skip beats whenever he wasn't acknowledged or when he was attacked both by their words and hands. The sinking feeling he felt in the pit of his stomach hurt. It was like someone was constantly punching him in the gut.  
  
So many times he had wanted to leave and say 'I'm done with this. I've had enough.' But he was stubborn, he wanted to believe they would notice him and things would go back to the way they were because Derek gave him hope every other night. But deep down he knew slowly, so very slowly, he was letting go of that hope.  
  
*-----------*  
  
The air was thick, his body was running hot. His breath was labored, sweat rolled down his body, as his arms shook frantically before finally giving way, letting Stiles drop to the bed and falling limp. His heart was racing making his head pulse and his vision become unfocused.  
  
"You can't leave me Stiles, you belong to me," Derek's hoarse voice grunted lowly as he thrusted lazily into Stiles, making small moans escape Stiles lips.  
  
Stiles tiredly looked back searching for Derek's face, a small smile passing his lips as he panted out, "I-I won't ev-...ever leave you..."  
  
"Good, ‘cause I won't let you leave me," Derek nearly purred as he leaned down and kissed Stiles lips.   
  
It took him by surprise; it was the first time since they started sleeping together that Derek had kissed him. Then, again this was also the first time Derek's taken him in his wolfed out form. He was also, gentler.  It was odd but he loved this and only hoped it would remain.  
  
But with Stiles luck, it was about to become the initial of a whole new nightmare.  
  
When he woke up the next morning, he was alone like every other time. He had thought maybe he'd stay the night but he hadn't, and that made him feel like a fool.   
  
So, he waited.  
  
And waited  
  
Days turned into weeks and yet nothing.  
  
Derek was ignoring him more than usual; the pack even was rougher than usual.   
  
Stiles was standing in the farthest corner of the towns library looking through shelves for specific books he needed to study, when Isaac walked up to him. "Hey," Isaac said rather forced.  
  
"H-hey..." Stiles couldn't help but stutter out as he looked everywhere but the young beta. Being reduced to being an omega, he had developed the strange habit of avoiding looking into the eyes of those above him.

"Derek wanted me to tell you to fuck off. So, fuck off, and stop looking for him. He thought you would get it by now, but I guess you’re too desperate to see he's only using you for sex. You are the omega after all, which makes you the packs whore. The only reason we haven’t used you is because we all have our pair, and our alpha doesn’t."  Isaac said before pushing past Stiles and going to catch up with Erica and Boyd, leaving Stiles standing there all by himself.  
  
The sound of the town’s bell rang, echoing throughout the whole quiet library. It made Stiles jump as Isaac’s words sinked into his head. "I-I was just a t-toy?" He choked out as tears fell down the apples of his cheeks. His legs gave out and he fell to the hard wooden floor. He felt sick, his heart ached and his stomach churned uncomfortably. Of course, it had to be real. Why would he even think that a guy like Derek would even be interested in a weak, annoying, and ugly human boy like him? He was just an easy lay... that's all he was to Derek.  
  
He couldn't control the tears or the loud sobbing that escaped his shaken up body. So he collected himself the best he could before running out. He ran home, not even bothering to greet the people on the streets that passed him by with a small wave or ‘Hello’. When he got there, his dad wasn't home but someone else was. "Hello Stiles," the stranger said as he busied with looking through the contents of his desk.  
  
"W-who ar-are you?" Stiles stuttered out as he backed up with thoughts of escaping but only ended up bumping into something hard, and before he could turn to look he was knocked out.   
  
*~~~~~*   
  
Stiles woke up in a dark room with a soft futon laid under him. He had hardly had time to look around properly when the same voice as before was once again ringing in his ears. "Your finally awake" he heard someone say before they stepped out of the darkness for Stiles to see. Stiles cowered away when the man held his hand out to touch him. "Don’t be afraid pup, I won't hurt you." The man said as he caressed Stiles cheek. "What do you want from me?" Stiles asked terrified of what the man would do and could do.  
  
"From you? Nothing but your mate has something I want," Deucalion said as he pulled his hand back before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"M-mate?.. I-I'm no one’s mate..." Stiles said as he pulled his legs closer to his chest and away from the man sitting just at arm’s length from him.

"Ah, but you are...I'm sure Derek is willing to pay anything for you," Deucalion said through a grin as his eyes followed the clawed hand that caressed up his leg.  
  
"You’re wrong... I mean nothing to Derek or his pack... I'm an outcast..." Stiles said as he tried not to flinch away from the foreign touch before looking up at Deucalion, who brought his clawed hand up to caress harshly against his neck, obviously in threat of what he was capable of. "B-But if you promise not to hurt me I’ll help you, I’ll do a lot more then help you just please don't take me back to Derek." Stiles practically begged as he looked from Deucalion to the men who had entered the room. That really seemed to take Deucalion by surprise, at least that’s what he thought.  
  
Deucalion was quick to compose himself and almost laughed at the determination in the boy’s voice. “You are willing to aid me get what I want, and just so I do not return you to Derek? My, what an interesting bargain chip we have acquired.” The men standing behind Deucalion let out various of scoffs and chuckles. “And what could have possibly made a pack mate want to run away from his alpha?” Deucalion asked out of pure curiosity.

“I was never seen as pack in his eyes, I was lying to myself. Derek only used me for his benefits, making false promises. I don’t want to be his toy anymore; I want to be free of him.” Stiles said as tears build in his eyes. The tone in his voice was sincere, and told the werewolves just how disgusted he was with himself for believing in an incompetent alpha.

The sadness and heart break that came from the boy’s voice made Deucalion feel sorry for him. "Alright pup, what do you suppose we do?" he said.  
  
Stiles gave a teary smile at Deucalion as he placing his hands on his belly.  
  
*--------*  
  
Everyone was devastated; it had been nearly 6 months since Stiles had gone missing. The sheriff was a mess but Melissa was keeping him intact.   
  
The pack was made a mess, they've tried sniffing him out but his scent had seemed to vanish off the face of the earth. Scott blamed himself, everyone did actually. They were all giving up hope on finding Stiles, without a trace of his scent or an idea of where their omega could have gone. Everyone was finally settling with the idea that perhaps Stiles was dead. Even the human search party had stopped searching for him a month before the pack started to settle with the idea.  
  
That was until today, when Derek got a sudden call from an unknown number.  
  
"Hello?" Derek answered half hoping it was Stiles.  
  
"Hello Derek, any luck finding your little human bitch?" The voice said in a teasing tone making Derek growl.  
  
"Who is this?!" Derek snarled as he clenched the phone tightly in his hand.  
  
"That doesn't matter. Right now I want to discuss a trade. You have something I want, and I have something you want." Deucalion said, his voice still in that irritating happy tone that was ticking Derek off, but he would listen since he assumed the ‘what he wants’ was meant to hint that this person had Stiles.  
  
"What do you want?" Derek said as he gritted his teeth.   
  
"Nothing much, just your mothers claws and a couple thousand dollars in exchange for Stiles," The man said as if he was not asking for much.  
  
Everyone in the room could hear it even though it wasn't on speaker.  The pack had perked up at the mention of Stiles, whoever this person was, had stiles. Peter, however, snarled and said "No! Those claws are more valuable than your human!"   
  
Derek snarled at Peter, making him forcefully back off.   
  
"Do we have a deal?" The voice said.  
  
"...Yes" Derek forcefully let out before the call ended with instructions of where the trade would be made as well as with a warning of not bothering to double cross them.

“Are you insane? You and I both know your human isn’t worth handing your mother’s claws over for!” Peter scolded his nephew and alpha.

“I don’t care about the worth of the claws! I have to get Stiles back at all costs!” Derek snarled before heading towards his room with Scott following behind him.  
  
*-----*  
  
They met just on the edge of the woods just like Deucalion had said. Derek had his mother’s claws in one hand and the money in the other. Peter was opposed to him giving so much up just for Stiles, but Stiles was his and giving this for him was nothing to him.  
  
He waited for Deucalion in the location they promised to meet. But it seemed that he would not show, the place was quiet for some time, until he heard the sound of leaves crumbling. He turned in the direction it came, only to see Deucalion and a few of his pack. The werewolf had said they would meet alone, but other alpha had shown up with a few of his pack, “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not the only one who broke our rules.” Deucalion defended as he looked off towards where Scott was hiding.

Derek didn’t say anything to that, instead he searched the small group opposite to him but didn’t find Stiles with them. "I have what you want but where is Stiles?" Derek snarled as he clutched to the objects in his possession in distrust.  
  
"Well give him to you when you give us what we want." Deucalion said with a wide grin as he held his hand out to receive what he had come here to get.  
  
Derek hissed in annoyance but just pulled the cylinder container holding the claws and holding it up to show Deucalion before throwing it to him.   
  
Deucalion caught the claws before handing them to his side man and letting him check if it was indeed the claws. When he was given a nod Deucalion looked at Derek and said, "Now that was only half of what I asked, and unless you only want half a Stiles hand over the other half of our deal."   
  
Derek gripped the bag in his other hand before tossing it at Deucalion’s feet "It’s $50,000, you can count it, it’s all there."  
  
"No, I’ll take your word for it," Deucalion said with a grin before picking the bag up and about to walk away. Derek’s words forced him to come to a stop, "Deucalion! We had a deal! You got the claws and the money, now hand over Stiles."  
  
Deucalion’s grin grew even wider as he said, "Right, here you go then." he said as he pulled a silver container with golden designs that was to awfully close to a cremation urn, and rolled it to Derek’s feet.  
  
Derek crouched down and picked it up, he looked at it confused. What the hell was this? His eyes left the urn before looking towards Deucalion as a growl erupted out of him, "What the hell is this?! This wasn't the deal!"   
  
"Ah, but it was. You wanted Stiles, well now you have him in a nice cremation urn if I do say so myself. Now you can take him where ever you want without worrying about him talking back. You’re welcome." Deucalion said as he pointed to the container before letting out a chuckle when he noticed Derek’s face scrunch up in utter horror, "I never said I'd give him to you alive now did I?"   
  
Derek’s eyes widen in shock, "You bastard!!" Scott yelled as he came out of hiding and ran towards Deucalion but the alpha quickly fled before he could reach him. Derek was to shaken up to move from his place as his eyes stayed glued to the container holding Stiles ashes. There was no doubt that this was indeed Stiles. He could smell the faint burnt scent of Stiles coming from it. Tears fell down the side of the alpha’s cheeks as a howl escaped him, letting his cry of loss be echoed throughout the wilderness.

**//16 Years Later//**

The peace between the human world and the Supernatural world was in havoc and all because some werewolf had decided to rise in the east and make a name for herself. The ‘Immortal Queen’, as most called her, had been taking territory after territory expanding her domain, as well as adding to her pack.  The Queen was feared by all humans and creatures alike. However, lucky for the Hale pack, the worst they had been met with was with smaller groups of werewolves challenging them for their territory. The Queen didn’t seem to be keen on traveling west towards Beacon Territory but that didn’t mean that they the Queen would not soon come marching towards their territory in attempts to claim it.

A lot of things had happened in the last 16 years since Stiles death. Besides the chaos caused by the Queen, their pack had changed as well. For one, their bond had faltered but they remained a pack for the sake of getting revenge and their people. The pack had even expanded by six new werewolf members born into the pack. Allison and Scott had two pups of their own, their eldest was a 13 year old boy named Andrew and their youngest was a little 10 years old girl named, Sarah. Isaac and Peter had a little boy as well named Damien that was 12 years old. Lydia and Jackson also had a 10 year old little girl named Jessica. Erica and Boyd had two little boys named Darrel, 14, and Joey, 9.  The hunters and a few dozen humans had also joined the Hale pack, and all played important roles in the pack.

For years they had kept taps on Deucalion in hopes of one day catching the rotten alpha and making him pay for killing Stiles but since about 3 year ago they lost taps on him. Deucalion had vanished so suddenly. The last they had heard of him was when Peter had chased him to the boarder of the Queen’s lands, but he had not dare to cross them. He knew the dangers that lay within her domain, and would be a fool to cross them. Instead, he had returned with word for Derek of the events but they weren’t sure what to make of it. There was no way to confirm if Deucalion had been killed off by the Queen or joined her immensely growing pack. They wanted to believe the worst but they would not be so foolish to believe it until they saw it.

Derek and his men were just returning from a battle just north of their lands from a werewolf attack who was attempting to overtake their lands. It seemed that the packs of werewolves were getting bigger with the recent days.

“Uncle Derek!” Joey, the runt of Erica and Boyd ran over to him and clinged onto his leg like he usually did when Derek came back from a long trip or battle. Heck, the child would do it even after being parted for a minute. “Get off me runt,” Derek said with no real heat behind his words as he kept walking even with the child still clinging to his leg as various of ‘weees’ left him.

Joey was one of the few of the children who actually approached Derek with such boldness but if Derek was honest, Joey was his favorite. There was just something pure about the child that reminded him of Stiles. “You promised to play with me when you returned,” Joey whined as he pursed his lips together in a pout.

“Does your mom know you’re here?” Derek asked as he stopped walking and pulled the kid into his arms while the few hunters, Peter, and Scott that had returned with him from the battle walked past him towards their homes to see their families. “Probably not,” Peter said with a grin as he ruffled Joey’s hair as he walked past them.

Joey just stuck his tongue out at Peter. Of course, the child wondered off on his own, and that was a problem especially with the threat being so near their boarders. “Joey, you can’t just wonder off like that. You have to tell your mom where you are going so she won’t be too worried.” Derek scolded the squirming child in his arms. He knew Joey hated being scolded as much as Derek hated being the one scolding him.

“And your absolutely right about that,” They both heard Boyd’s voice say. Joey began to whimper and immediately clung to Derek so tightly that Derek was having trouble breathing. Being caught by his parents made the child wary and that much more reluctant to leave Derek’s side to avoid punishment by his mother. “Besides coming here to get my son, I also came to tell you that someone has crossed our boarders. She made it to town without anyone noticing her but she doesn’t appear to be a threat. Isaac and a few hunters have her surrounded. I’d hurry if I were you, who knows why she’s even here.” Boyd said as he took his son from Derek’s arms, although it took him some effort to make his son release their alpha.

“What?!” Derek snarled before running off towards the town as soon as the child was removed from his person. Dammit, how the hell did someone cross their boarders without him noticing?

Boyd looked at his son and furrowed his brows, “You’re in big trouble, buddy.” Joey gave his daddy a cheeky smile, much like his mother’s own mischievous smile.

*----------*

When Derek stepped into town, the hunters and his pack that had surrounded the young woman moved away to make a path for him. He looked at the young woman with suspiciousness, but the scent was undeniable. She was no ordinary person. She was an alpha, and one much stronger than what he was if he was honest. No wonder his pack was so hostile. “Why have you crossed our boarders without my permission?” Derek snarled, he couldn’t help but jump to the conclusion that she was here to take him down and take his territory.

The young woman looked at Derek, her beautiful honey orbs trace over him as if eying her prey but words never left her lips. She just turned her gaze away from Derek and looked around the town and at it’s people looking at her with wary eyes. “I wanted to see just what the town my mother grew up in looked like.” The young woman said with a soft voice.

“Your mother?” Derek repeated in confusion before his view of the woman was blocked by another person. The werewolves started to growl at his presence. Derek didn’t need to look at the man to know who it was, his claws started to draw out as took a step closer to the man he had so long chased after.

“Deucalion.” He snarled as the werewolves pack snarled at him and stepped closer towards the young woman and Deucalion.

“What a tough crowed,” Deucalion said with a grin before looking around at the enclosing werewolves, “I just came to get my god daughter and leave.”

“You won’t be leaving here alive!” Scott hissed through his fangs as his brown orbs turned amber as he wolfed out.

Peter, Scott, Jackson, Isaac, Erica, Boyd, and Derek ran towards the two but the sudden growl that was let out by the young woman had everyone but Derek backing off from their attempt of an attack. “Touch him and you will be signing your death warrant!” The young woman snarled with much authority that it had werewolves lowering their heads at the young girl’s words in instinct, and the few humans that had stuck around, questioning what was going on.

Derek, who was the only unfazed by the girl growled at her, restoring his rightful authority on his pack. The young woman backed off a bit lowering her head at the alpha, yet it wasn’t fully lowered, which showed her defiance towards the current alpha.

“Your daughter is head strong just like her mother, Stiles.” Deucalion said in a teasing tone before looking at the young woman, “And you Scar, you shouldn’t have come here.” He said in a more stir voice earning a growl from the girl, “More respect god father, you know mother will not take kindly to being referred to by such a name,” before her eyes looked at Derek, giving him one last look over before she turned around and took off running.

“Stiles is alive?!” was all Derek could make of what the young woman had said.

Deucalion only let a grin slip past his lips as he said in a voice that taunted Derek, “Why no, Stiles is indeed dead.” Before he too ran off in the direction the girl had gone in, and disappear all too fast for anyone to follow.

“What the hell is going on?” Derek let out uneasily as his hand ran through his hair in frustration.


	2. Chapter 2

"Scarlett, are you even listening to me?" Deucalion said in a stern voice as he followed his goddaughter into his estate. "What the hell are you doing here?" He said with a growl as he watched the young woman gracefully sit on throw pillows.   
  
"I hear you god father, but I don't care to listen to your scolding." Scarlett said as she picked up the glass of wine offered to her by the werewolf serving in her godfather's estate.   
  
"Well I'm sorry princess, but you know very well these lands are forbidden to you!" Deucalion said as he sat himself down opposite of the young woman. "Besides, what is a newly mated young woman doing far from her mate?" Deucalion said changing the subject momentarily.  
  
Scarlett lowered her glass as she said, "Victor is dead."   
  
"Dead? What happened?" Deucalion asked as his anger subsided and worry over took his being.   
  
"Victor was conspiring against the Queen. He wanted me to help gain more followers to bring her down." Scarlett said as she waved the servant away deciding she had enough wine.  
  
A smile slipped passed his lips at what his god daughter had said, "I see. Everyone was beginning to question your loyalty to her highness. It’s good to see your loyalty still lies with the Queen.”

“Of course my loyalty is forever lies with the Queen,” Scarlett said as she flipped a lock of her long black hair back. “If I left her kingdom, it wasn’t out of disloyalty. It’s like I said to my father, I wanted to see the world my mother grew up in and get to meet the man who bounded his soul to my mother’s. Victor just happen to offer that opportunity of escape, and I took it. It’s rather unfortunate that he resulted in being an enemy.”

“That’s really sweet and all, but you shouldn’t have done something as stupid as what you did. If you wanted to come here and see him, you could have…” Deucalion began to say but was interrupted by his goddaughter’s words. “I could have what?! Asked mother to let me travel out of the safety of home to come see the man that brought her so much pain?” Scarlett asked as she stood up from the comfort of the pillows, “Yes, because that would have worked out so well.”

“No, but you could have gone about this a different way! You killed your mate, and I get it, it was out of self-defense but do you have any idea what you caused?” Deucalion scolded as he stood up from his seat as well. “Scarlett, don’t walk away from me. I’m talking to you.” He said as his brows furrowed as he grabbed hold of his goddaughter before she could walk towards the door.

Scarlett looked at her godfather’s hand on hers before pulling her hand free, “Of course I know what I did. I protected my family! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to see about my own pack, and ensure none of them plan try to finish what my deceased mate left undone.” She said before walking out of the common room of the estate.

Deucalion just let out a small sigh as he sat back on the throw pillows he had previously had been sitting down on. “Someone get me some parchment, I must send word to the Queen that Scarlett is here.” Deucalion said as he looked around for the servants who still lingered in the room. He had to send word back to Stiles at the palace to let him know that his daughter had been found.

Ever since the rise of the Queen, everything in their world everything had changed. Communication no longer was as easy as making a phone call. She had every electric tower destroyed. She was a very paranoid creature who believed they were instruments that could be used against her. But lucky for her the war prior to her existence had left the whole planet nearly powerless, and returned them back to their savage days. So the destruction of the remaining towers had hardly been a task for the Queen.

Deucalion kind of missed the luxury of phones, but sixteen years is a long time for someone to get accustomed to the way life was now.

*----------*

Derek had returned back to his home with Peter following right behind him. Since the moment the young woman and Deucalion had disappeared from the town, his people had been in an uproar. Word quickly reached the ears of all his people, that the intruder had been his daughter born from a union with the long thought dead son of the former sheriff.

If the young woman was his daughter or not he wasn’t sure but it was a possibility. A possibility, that if it were true gave Deucalion an upper hand on Derek. However, he couldn’t bring himself to worry about that at the moment. The young woman that Deucalion had so fondly called ‘Scar’, mentioned Stiles as he were alive and if that were true, he needed to find that girl. She could take him to Stiles.

“Derek, are you insane? This could be a trap.” Peter said as he watched his nephew pack a few things in a hurry. “Even if she is your daughter, she was raised under Deucalion. Correct me if I’m wrong, but he is the enemy, what makes you think he didn’t raise her to be as much of a threat to us as he is?” Peter tried to reason as he blocked his nephew from the exiting his own home.

Derek narrowed his eyes at his uncle’s actions before pushing past him, “I don’t care how Deucalion raised her. She’s the only chance I’ve got to finding Stiles if he is alive.”

“A long time ago I advised you against giving up your mother’s claws and the wealth of the town for Stiles, look where that has left us!” Peter yelled out to his nephew making Derek come to a stop. “For once in your life, stop and think about what you are about to do! You can’t afford to be selfish; you have to think about your people. If you go seeking her, you will be giving Deucalion and all other werewolves a perfect opportunity to take over the town, and for what? The words of a young woman claiming to be your daughter?”

Peter was right, what Deucalion had asked for was more than any man or werewolf would ever be willing to give. The claws, were more than just that. They were keys to their family line, secrets, and titles. The Hale’s were a wealthy pack and rulers of Beacon Territory. Every clan had their own penmanship and trade mark that allowed them to make treaties and make trade with other territories. Unfortunately, Derek had given them up foolishly without known their complete worth. The Hale claws were lost to them as so was every possible way to ensure their survival and their peoples. Derek had reduced his town to feeding off whatever game caught on their lands as well as using whatever resource they had within it. Then there was the fortune Derek had so easily given to Deucalion. Not every town had $50,000, many barely held a fortune of $1,000, and even that was a lot. However, the Hale pack had been around for generations and that was all the money and hard work his family had saved up, and he had surrendered the mass fortune to save his mate.

Derek couldn’t afford to further doom his people to deeper despair. “What do you suggest I do?” Derek asked as he turned back to look at his uncle.

“For one, double the guarding. If Deucalion is back, who knows what his true motives are.” Peter said as he approached his nephew. Peter knew better than anyone how bad Derek had beat himself up since Deucalion had given Derek the urn of Stiles ashes. It had completely broken his nephew and forced a change, but if Peter was honest, what Deucalion had done was something good. He had brought the humans, hunters, and werewolves together.

Sixteen years ago, he would have thought of it as a joke. Human’s and creatures co-existing with one another? What a terrible joke. That’s what he had thought ever since Stiles, a human was brought into the pack by Scott. It had happened so suddenly, and no one had been prepared for it. Their cultural difference had clashed. While in every werewolves eyes, they were doing no wrong in treating Stiles as what he was in the pack the omega. Even when Allison, a human hunter, came into the picture Stiles was proven to be the omega. Traditionally, omegas are the weakest link and that’s exactly what Stiles had proven to be. Werewolves would treat these omegas harshly to roughen them up and strengthen them both physically and emotionally, giving them a higher percentage rate of survival. However, their mistake was forgetting Stiles was indeed just human. Human’s beliefs were different from a werewolf’s, and that mistake had cost them dearly.

Scott shouldn’t have felt compelled to befriend the human that had saved his life from a hunter’s trap. He shouldn’t have felt compelled to ensure him a place in the pack, and Derek shouldn’t have ever allowed it to happen. It had been all their own fault for allowing Stiles existence to become as important as it had, but that was sixteen years ago. Now, Peter wasn’t so sure if Stiles death really was a bad thing. Things amongst them had changed for the better but he only wished Derek didn’t hold on to an impossible hope. “You have to let him go, Derek. Stiles is dead, whatever Deucalion and that girl said was only to get into your head. You held the proof of Stiles death, just let the boy rest in peace.” Peter said as he squeezed his nephew’s shoulder. Everyone had moved on, and it was about time Derek allowed himself to move on as well.

Derek couldn’t bring himself to say anything, how could he? Stiles was more than just a pack mate. Stiles was his mate, and the loss of a mate was something they could never understand even if he were to tell them. He felt like an empty body wondering the earth. The only thing that got him out of bed every morning was his sense of duty. He was alpha after all, he could not simply abandon his people. “Double the guarding around the town, and if there is movement warn me at once. I’ll take the second watch with the rest of the men.” Derek said before returning towards his cottage.

“As you wish,” Peter said before taking off in a sprint towards the town to give word to the men.

*------------*

When Derek returned to his cottage, the young woman from before was standing there by the table looking around rather intrigued by the décor. “How did you get in here?” Derek said through a small growl as he retracted his claws.

Scarlett took her eyes away from the plain walls of the alpha’s home and focused them on him. “The same way I got into town, with magic.” She said as she lowered her eyes at his clawed hand, “I do not mean you any harm.” She said as she sat herself down on one of the chairs.

“Werewolves do not use magic,” Derek said as he cautiously approached the girl. There was no way that the girl was his daughter, right? Stiles was dead, and the many times they had shared bed, they had never conceived. He was more than sure of it. Also, magic? “What exactly are you?” Derek asked as he eyed the young woman.

Scarlett let a smile slip past her lips at her father’s wariness. “You don’t believe that I am your daughter, do you?” She asked as she watched the man sit himself down opposite from her.

“How could I? Stiles and I never conceived even with the many times we shared intimacy.” Derek said as he watched the girl carefully as well as keeping his senses on high alert for any signs of movements coming from outside.

“That was something I didn’t want to know, but I don’t blame you nor them for not believing it. I can prove it.” She said as she moved her hands up to collect her hair and hold it off to the side as she stood up and turning around to show the Hale birth mark on her back. “Mother said you once told her, that this mark meant you were a descendant of the Hale linage. Every pack has their own mark, but this one belongs to a Hales.”

It was true every pack had their own mark that distinguished them from which pack they originated from. But this girl clearly had the Hale mark embedded on her back just like he had. Derek couldn’t help but approach the girl and run his finger over the girl’s birth mark as if trying to make sure it was real. “That’s impossible, Stiles and I never...” Derek’s voice trailed off as he backed away from the girl and sat himself back down on his chair. He couldn’t believe that he really had a daughter, and with Stiles.

It was hard to believe, but looking at her, she surely was more him then Stiles. Everything about her resembled a Hale. She had the same shape of nose as he had, the same hair color even though her’s was waist length and wavy, her lips were round and plumed like he remembered his mother’s, Talia, to be, her cheek bones were high like his were, her frame was lean yet strong, and her stance read confidence just like every Hale woman held.  Everything about her screamed his, except her eye color. The honey brown eyes, was something that resembled Stiles own eyes, and her brow’s, they had the same arch as Stiles’ had. She had also gotten her mother’s paleness, but that just added to her beauty in his opinion.

Scarlett fixed her hair back in place, letting it cover her back and shoulders, “Apparently, you did father. You just never knew about it.” She said as her eyes wondered around the small cottage with a hint of confusion in her eyes, “But what I don’t understand is this, mother said your home was quite nice and large.”

Upon hearing that he looked around the small cottage and sighed, “I gave my estate to your mom’s dad, but he died a few years ago from a werewolf attack. The estate is being used as a hospital now, so I stay here when I am not making rounds of the town or in battle.” Since, Stiles death, the guilt of baring the fault in his death drove him mad. He had abandon his home and searched for Deucalion for years in seek of revenge, but after losing his trail several times he had returned home and given the sheriff a more comfortable home and made him a promise to avenge his son. However, that promise had been dissolved by the sheriff when the pack grew more with humans and hunters. John wanted Derek to honor Stiles death with making everyone equal, and that’s exactly what he had done. Everyone in his pack had their place and all was as equally respectable as the next.

Derek was pulled from his thoughts when he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. The young woman had stood up and walked towards the small fire by the chimney, she collected a small trinket that laid within a wooden music box. “Did this belong to her?” She asked as she brought it to her nose and smelled it before letting it rest in the palm of her hand.

He stood up and walked over to the girl with confusion written on his face. “Who?” He asked as he looked at what the girl held. “The trinket, did it belong to my mother?” The young woman said as she turned to look back at Derek as she showed him the trinket. It was a pretty little silver amulet in shape of a snowflake with a blue sapphire in the center of it.

Derek took it from her hand and gave a small nod,”Hm, Stiles’ mom gave it to him. John said it’s a family heirloom passed down on your grandmother’s side.” He placed the necklace back into its place in the box before looking at the young girl, “Why do you keep calling your mom a ‘her’?”

Scarlett let a small pout form on her lips when the trinket was taken from her, but she could understand it was important and she probably shouldn’t touch it. “Mother’s done a few things in the past that earned her the right to be referred to as ‘her’.”  She said as she looked back at her father, who was looking even more confused than he was.

“What do you mean?” Derek asked even more confused yet just as eager to know everything that his daughter was willing to tell. What had Stiles done to earn the title of ‘her’ more importantly, “Is Stiles alive?”

The sound in Derek’s voice was so hopeful and filled with love for her that there was no doubt in her being that her father stilled loved her mother. “And if she were to be alive?” She asked, not really giving her father a clear answer. Her mother never hide the truth from her about her father and his pack, and at first she had hated her father for what he had done to her mother but then all she had wanted was to know the man.

“If I were to tell you that my mother was indeed alive, what difference would that make?” She asked as she sat herself back down.

“It would make a big difference,” Derek said furrowing his brows at the girl’s tone. “If he’s alive, I need to find him and clear things out. We made a huge mistake a very long time ago, and I just want closure.”

“So, it’s just for closure?” Scarlett asked as her lips curled slightly into a frown. She didn’t know what she was expecting to hear but it wasn’t closure. “If that’s all you want, then you will be wasting your time. Mother will never forgive you that much she has assured us. Perhaps you should do as your friend said and let her go.” She said as she stood up from her seat and headed towards the door, much like she had with her god father moments ago.

What? Let him go? No, that was something Derek couldn’t do, if he could have he would have let him go a long time ago just like everyone else had. But it wasn’t as easily done as it was said. The aching in his heart and soul was something he couldn’t escape nor did he want too. Stiles was his mate, werewolves mate for life and even when their mating had not been made official he had made claim on him. A claim he still felt and was the source of his hope.

“I can’t let him go, Stiles is my mate. I have to get him back.” Derek said as he stopped his daughter from leaving. “Tell me the truth, it’s all I ask. Is Stiles alive?” Derek asked with much desperation in his voice.

Scarlett’s eyes lowered to her father’s hand stopping her from leaving. It felt odd feeling her father’s warm of her father’s hand on her arm. It felt like a small shock wave coursing through her body making her wolf whine internally like a pup seeking her father’s attentions. She felt the urge to hug the man that brought her being great comfort and safety.

She had obsessed with this moment almost all her live that she couldn’t help but feel like this was like everything she had anticipated it would be. Her wolf was being recognized by her father as his daughter even though words had not been said to make her think so, but she could feel it from just the simple touch. However, what her father was asking she was something she knew her mother had intended never to reveal to him. “Mother is alive. She has been all this time.” Scarlett said with a small smile even though she had decided to go against her mother’s wishes by telling her father the truth of his mother, “But you probably shouldn’t call mother ‘Stiles’. She doesn’t take kindly to people who call her by that name.”

“Right, you said that to Deucalion earlier,” Derek said as he thought back to the conversation his daughter had with Deucalion, but he couldn’t understand why. Stiles loved his name; he had once said it was something his mother used to call him. Nothing made sense to him and he couldn’t help but keep asking the same question over and over in his head. Why?

“I know it might be hard to believe, but godfather isn’t a bad man once you get to know him,” Scarlett assured her father as she watched him seat himself back down by the fire.

“You’re right, I find it hard to believe,” Derek said with a sour tone. Deucalion had taken his mate from him, and for sixteen years he thought him dead, clinging to the impossibility that Stiles might be alive. “I don’t want to talk about Deucalion though,” Derek said honestly, he wanted to know more of Stiles. He needed to know more.

Scarlett smiled at what her father had said. She had learned to read between the lines ever since she was young, everyone seemed to leave the more important things unsaid, because she had been too young to know things. However, being her mother’s daughter, she quickly caught on. “You would rather talk about mother.” She said as she moved to sit back down.

“Hm, I want to know what his life has been like these past sixteen year.” Derek said as he too sat himself back down on his seat. Perhaps, his daughter would slip a hint of where he could find him. Knowing Stiles was alive gave him the hope of reuniting with him but he knew it would not be easy. They had not parted in the most friendliest of ways. Things had been so screwed up, and he had just disappeared from town after sharing a night of intimacy.

“Sixteen years is a long time,” Scarlett said with a small chuckle as she looked down at her hands that curled into one another, “It could take a while to tell you everything that happened to us in that time.”

It was odd, the tone in her voice sounded distant and sad as she had said those words. It made his heart ache, and wonder just what hardships had they lived through, but before he could voice it the sounds of crashing pans came from the corner of the cottage with a small ‘Oww~’ following it.

Derek stood up and turned around searching for the intruder with his claws out ready to attach, but when his eyes landed on the familiar child form laying half inside a tipped over pot he retracted his claws. “Joey, what are you doing here?” Derek said in a scolding manner as he went to collect the child from the floor.

“Mommy was going to yell at me, and I don’t like it when mommy yells. So I hide here.” Joey said with a small pout as he snuggled into Derek’s arms.

Derek couldn’t help but let a smile slip past his lips, “Sorry to break it to you runt, but you’re going to get yelled at worse than you were before when our mom finds you.”

Scarlett watched her father interact with the child, and it was the same way a father interacted with his child. She had seen fathers interact with their children many times before and she had always seen it from the side lines, like she was now. It was strange but she felt her stomach sink and her heart cringed watching her father interact with the child in that way.  

“Is that the same lady that was in town?” Joey whispered to Derek as if trying not to make it obvious that he was talking about her.

Derek looked at his daughter when Joey asked about her. She didn’t seem to be comfortable under the sudden circumstances of being near a child. “Hm, this is…” Derek began to say but his voice trailed off. He didn’t know his daughter’s name, heck, he hardly knew anything about her other than the fact that she was indeed his daughter.

“Scarlett,” Scarlett said finishing her father’s sentence although she felt a little bitter. “My name is Scarlett,” She repeated as she looked at her father who seemed at loss of how to introduce her.

“Scarlett,” Derek repeated before looking at Joey who was clinging to Derek’s neck when he had made an attempt to put him down. Joey did this to Derek, among other things when he tried to put him down or return him home. The kid had a strange attachment to him; he had once wished he had seen in his own kids, but this was Joey. Derek couldn’t help but give up on even trying to get him to let go. Besides he would let go eventually. “She’s my daughter,” Derek said as he looked at Joey, who was keen on looking at Scarlett with unsure eyes as he leaned towards her trying to sniff her.

“Is she going to live here now too?” Joey asked as he looked back at Derek with a big smile, that almost made Derek want to chuckle at how easily the boy accepted his daughter. But even he wondered if his daughter would stick around for a while.

“No, I will have to leave soon before mother decides to come looking for me.” Scarlett said knowing it would sound weird to her father that she did not want to be found. “I know it must sound odd that I do not want mother to find me, but I’ve waited all my life for an opportunity like this, and I am not ready to go home.”

Derek couldn’t help but want to make his daughter stay if it meant bringing Stiles here but that wouldn’t be right.  However, the determination in his daughter’s voice was confusing yet admirable. He didn’t know whether that was a good thing or bad. He knew more about human customs to know Stiles was probably worried sick about their missing daughter, but was it selfish of him to also want to keep her and get to know her, as well as possibly finding a way to get to Stiles?

“I’ve always envied my brothers and sisters for having something I never did, a father. But I don’t blame her for doing what she did. She did her best on her own.” Scarlett said with a longing in her voice that nearly broke his heart, but shocked what shocked him was her mentions of brothers and sisters. He wanted to ask for clarity. It could not be what he thought it was and what having other children enticed.

A howl came from the distance getting both their attentions. It wasn’t from his back but his daughter seemed to stiffen at the sound of it. “I should go, my pack is calling me, but perhaps we can continue our talk another time. It seems you’ll have company and I doubt they will be all too happy to find me here.” She said before disappearing just as his door was being swung open.

“Derek!” Erica’s voice came as the sound of her stomped her way towards them, not sounding too happy. Followed by the sound of Boyd’s own footsteps as he tried to calm his angered mate.

He couldn’t accept that Stiles had mated with another man and had other kids with this mate.

Just what exactly had Stiles done these past sixteen years?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this chapter longer since I haven't updated in a while ^^ hopefully it makes up for it. Oh please excuse the misspelled words since I wrote this on my tablet ^^"

It had been a few days since he had seen his daughter, and he was beginning to question whether it had really happened or if that had been just a figment of his imagination. However, at the moment he had very little time to contemplate whether it was real or not. He had been summoned into the kitsune territory further west. They had sent word to them about an offer the clan leader had for them concerning trade.

‘ _You have to go, if they are voluntarily reaching out to make an offer of trade than you should take it. After all they were friends of your parents. Maybe they’re taking pity on you._ ’ Peter had said after he had read the long letter the Yukimura Clan had sent. Derek had to admit the offer was tempting but he still had to ask, Why?

He had nothing to trade. His pack was barely making it through with the little their crops brought up and little game there was left in their territory.

That was how Scott and him had ended up in the kitsunes territories. Both he and Scott where being carefully escorted inside the Japanese estate of the Yukimura Clan. The estate was traditional just like the village homes, but the estate had it’s own personal touch and built far larger than anything else. “Wow…” He heard Scott let out as he eyed the place in awe. The inside was a mixture of shoji doors, marble walls, and tile floors. Compared to the Hale estate, the Yukimura estate had a peaceful and calming aura to it, but even so, Derek knew better than to let his guard down in unknown territory.

When they turned yet another corridor they soon found themselves coming to a halt in front of twin maple wooden doors, perhaps the only doors made of wood he had seen since they arrived. The two guards leading them took a stance on either side of the door as they pushed the large things open to let the alpha and Scott inside. “Ah, glad you two have made it safe.” Lord Ken Yukimura, head of the Yukimura Clan, said as he raised a cup to his lips. “Come in and have a seat,” He continued only after having his sip at the steaming drink.

From where they stood both werewolves could smell the herbs inside the cup in the Yukimura’s hand. Scott turned his head to give Derek a wary look before letting the alpha lead. It wasn’t the Clan members or the number of guards he could sense guarding the place that made Scott feel uneasy. It was the fact that Peter had tried to teach him etiquette for when he was within the Yukimura estate, since it was a formal business meeting and no matter what creature you where you had to behave under proper etiquette in front of other Clans/Packs, or else it would make the alpha look weak and incapable.

Derek practically hearing Scott’s silent plea just began to take the lead from there. He was the first to walk up towards the obvious offered seats, knowing Scott would follow behind him. From the little Derek knew about the head of the Yukimura clan was that, he had no sons, only a daughter. Which explained their absence, but besides him on his right side where two other men who were unknown to him and an empty seat to Derek’s left.

The room fell into a silent, the only thing that was heard was the sounds of fresh tea being poured in the cups of the men sitting across from them. It wasn’t until a large parchment paper was set on the table that Yukimura spoke up, “We’ve read over terms of the trade you wish to do with our clan, and we’ve agreed to them. However, we have added one more thing to it. Besides providing your aid and soldiers to Yukimura territory we would like to have passage through Beacon Territory whenever we please without there being problems between our people. I understand Beacon Territory has large grounds perfect for Kistunes to use as training grounds and hunting.” Even though he was listening to what the Clan leader was saying, he couldn’t bring himself to furrow his brows at what was staring back at him.

There perfectly placed in the official wax stamp on the bottom right corner was the Hale seal. Which was completely impossible since the seal was the cylinder container of his mother’s claws and that had been lost to them years ago.

“Only if the kitsunes agree to respecting the laws of Beacon Territoy. One specific law which I will enforce, and that is the equal treatment of every woman, man, and child whether they are human or not.” Came the familiar voice as the young dark haired woman stepped into the room unannounced. The men all turned their attention towards the young woman who had dared to meddle in the men’s business. “I’m sure my father will agree with me,” She said as beautiful honey orbs turned to look at her father.

Derek couldn’t help but look at her a bit confused yet a little angry. What the hell was she doing here anyways? “Hm, I find that fair,” Yukimura said as he turned his gaze away from the young woman and back to the alpha as he added, “What do you say?” Derek looked back at the Clan leader before looking down at the parchment paper that Scott was looking over with a look that read amazement and bewilderment. “I will not sign it unless you have done the necessary addition to the document,” Derek said as he took the parchment paper and slide it back towards the Clan leader who just gave him a smile. “Of course,” Yukimura said as he snapped his finger’s and as soon as the echo of it had dispersed someone was at his side with ink and pen.

Derek watched Yukimura carefully as he wrote down the addition of the law his daughter had pushed and easily had gotten agreed despite her the lack of knowledge of her place that he had almost missed her make her way around the table towards the empty seat beside him. “Alright, here we are,” Yukimaru said as he finished the statement and initialed it before passing it back to the alpha. Derek took the pen that was being offered to him by Yukimura before signing the document, “I would like a copy of this document for my own personal reference.” He said as he finished signing it. “And you shall have it, Alpha Derek,” he said as he nodded his head silently giving command to the men besides him before looking back at Derek with a grin, “But first we must celebrate!”

Scott looked towards Derek before looking over at the woman beside him. In all honesty, Scott didn’t trust her but he had no doubt she was the one who had made this trade possible, yet his wariness of her still lingered. “I will have the maids show you to your rooms so you two can get some rest before the celebration,” Yukimura said as he rose to his feet, having everyone else who remained at the table rise with him. “Thank you for your hospitality,” Derek said with a slight bow, knowing this was something proper to do.

As they were once again being escorted out of the council room, but this time by woman maids, Derek turned his head to look at his daughter who was following beside him. None of them spoke a word until they were shown to their rooms. Derek, being the alpha got the largest room in the East wing that was enclosed behind large silver painted doors to represent that he was an honor guest. His daughter had already been given a room, which happened to be beside his just to his left as appropriate for any of his children. Scott, being neither son nor mate to Derek got a room a few doors down on the opposite side of the hall.  

“Would you like me to get anything for you before I go Alpha?” The young maid asked Derek, but Derek only promptly shook his head. The only thing the alpha wanted to do was talk to his daughter. “You can go,” He said giving her a verbal response before looking at Scott who was standing beside his daughter.

When they were left alone Derek turned to face the two, “Come inside.” He ordered before pushing the door to his room open. As large and well decorated the room was, he couldn’t focus his thoughts on exploring but rather getting answers out of his daughter just like Scott was silently trying to figure out on his own. But he did eye the couch on the small of the living space within his room and that’s were exactly Scott and his daughter sat down. He closed the door behind them before joining them as he addressed his daughter, “Do you want to explain what you just did?”

Scarlett who was giving him a small pout much like Stiles used to wear every now and then, had quickly frowned at the question. “I call it helping,” Scarlett said with an indifferent tone. “That is not what I meant,” Derek said with a small sigh leaving his lips. “Then what did you mean Father?” Scarlett asked as she crossed her legs and folded her arms against her chest. “I don’t doubt you were the one who brought that trade suggestion to them, but why? And how did you manage to get the Hale Seal?” Scott said clarifying what Derek was trying to say.  

“Oh…” Scarlett said as she shifted a little in her seat in obvious discomfort at the subject. “Oh?” Derek repeated as he narrowed his eyes at her before adding, “Where did you get it?” Scarlett let her slender feminine finger’s caress through her hair in attempt to comb it, “I temporarily borrowed it from my god father.” “You stole it from Deucalion?” Scott said a little surprised and before he could even suggest for her to give it back as proof that she really meant well. Scarlett gave him a frown before looking at her dad, “Look, I borrowed it because I knew the moment I stood in Beacon Territory that mother would have been disappointed in what it had become. She’s told me stories of what it was like and how beautiful it was, and if she could see it’s state right now she would have wanted to help. Despite it being the place that still haunts her darkest memories.” She said sounding a little bitter towards the end before adding, “And I won’t give back the seal. So don’t even ask.”

The sound of his daughter’s words stung both of them. One thing was for sure, she was right on that. Stiles loved living in the Beacon Territory, there was a certain place he remembered being his most favorite place in the whole world. He had even gone as far as calling it his ‘safe haven’. That place had been a nice meadow of flowers that had been his mother’s own back yard when growing up. It was the place she had taken Stiles as he grew up and the place she had given her last breath, but even so Stiles loved it because it made him feel like she was with him. If only Stiles seen how dry and dead that same field had gotten over the ears, Derek was sure it would crush him. But what ate at both Scott and Derek was the fact that it was his very home that they had driven him away from because of their inconsiderate instincts.  

“But that seal, it doesn’t belong to Deucalion. It belongs to the Hales, to Derek.” Scott said trying to reason with the young woman. He didn’t trust her despite her help today, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about trusting her. Maybe it was because of who her god father was, the same man who murdered his best friend. ‘ _It belongs to the Hales_ ’ those words made her stomach twist uncomfortably. She might not be his legitimate daughter but she still is his daughter, “I am a Hale, despite what you try to convince yourself of.” Scarlett said sounding like a child just wanting to be acknowledged. “We don’t know that for sure, for all we know Deucalion could just be trying to trick us,” Scott said as he leaned back on the couch.

Derek couldn’t help but notice the hurt in his daughter’s eyes at Scott’s insinuating words. “Scott,” Derek said trying to gain his friends attention before adding, “Scarlett is my daughter, despite what we try to think. The proof is there.” “Derek, you’re kidding right?” Scott said as he leaned off the couch before looking at Scarlett, “She shares features similar to yours but, there’s no way that’s possible. Unless you and Stiles…” Scott said before his jaw gapped open in disbelief. Derek eyed his daughter before nodding his head giving him a silent response as he said, “She has the Hale birth mark on her back. I have no doubt she is mine and Stiles daughter.”  Scott looked at the young woman before looking at Derek with disbelief that slowly turned into anger, “If Stiles was pregnant why didn’t you protect him better?!”

Derek wasn’t upset that his beta was angry with him, heck even he was. Stiles had to be pregnant sometime before he disappeared and it had been his fault for not noticing or sensing their child. “It wasn’t his fault,” Scarlett said rather quickly to defend her father from the beta. “What?” They both said a bit surprised by her outburst. “There was no way for father to have known, one of mother’s mate’s explained it was because mother’s soul had hidden me out of defense from all and even the soul that bounded itself to hers. It’s also why mother was able to mate, because father never ‘branded’ mother as his, only bounded his soul with hers.” Scarlet explained the best she remembered her mother’s second mate saying once.   

“You can do that?” Scott asked, his mind completely tossing aside the fact that Stiles had mated another, and far too fascinated with being able to just bound a person’s soul to yours yet not be committed to them like a mate. Derek, however, started to clench his fists in anger as he tried to contain the angry growl that was trying to explain. “What do you mean ‘One of mother’s mates’?! Just how many mates did Stiles have?” Derek couldn’t help but let his curiosity and anger take over him.

Now that Derek was so kindly pointing it out, Scott couldn’t help but frown and look at the young girl with curious eyes that also demanded to know Stile’s past. Neither of them seemed to look like it would do their temper any good to hear a part of her mother’s past so she simply shook her head and said, “I can’t.” Derek’s eyes narrowed further at his daughter’s answer, “You can’t or you won’t?”

“I won’t,” Scarlett corrected herself as she turned her head away from her father and the beta she knew as Scott. “Forgive me for disobeying, but if I tell you it will only serve to anger you even more than you already are and I can’t have you two doing anything to mess up this agreement we have just signed with the Kistue Clan.” She said trying to remind them both of where they were and that they were under strict orders from her Uncle Peter to maintain a professional behavior.

She was right, as much as he hated to admit it and as much as he wished to know about Stiles, he was in a different territory. His daughter had done a generous thing for Beacon Territory as it was. He couldn’t let anything jeopardize this for anything. “Fine,” Scott said letting it go for now, before getting up, “I think I’ll catch a few ‘z’s while we wait for the celebration.” When only father and daughter remain in each other’s company Scarlett shifted on her place on the couch to get more comfortable.

“Three,” Scarlett said after a while when she was sure there was no one in earing range of them. “What?” Derek asked a bit confused at what she had just said. “Three,” Scarlett repeated as she focused her gaze out the window, “Mom had three other mates besides you.” Derek didn’t know what to say. He was obviously angry that his mate had been with three other men besides him but he wasn’t going to make the mistake of letting his anger cloud his mind, not when his daughter was trying to tell him about it.

**~FLASHBACK~**

It had been a few months since he had said goodbye to Deucalion after aiding him to get what he had wanted from Derek. It had been in those short few months that he had shared with Deucalion that he had grown fond of the alpha and befriended him. Being with Deucalion was a whole lot different than it was with being with his former pack and maybe have just been because Deucalion needed him, but Stiles felt like he belonged. Deucalion and his betas treated him with most utter respect and attention that he never had gotten from his former pack.

Stiles looked down at his bulging stomach and couldn’t help but caress it lightly. One thing good had come out from being with the Hale pack and she would need him. The little baby growing within him was what kept him going and gave him the strength to go forth with his betrayal. He couldn’t allow his baby to grow up being surrounded by harshness he had to endure.

He was nearly five months pregnant, and from Deucalion had said, he should be giving birth at six or seven months depending on the baby’s rank and that it would have been shorter had he been a werewolf. It truly scared him to give birth, especially when he was now alone miles and miles out in the middle of nowhere all by himself.  Not that he was complaining, he actually loved the small cabin he was provided with. A flower meadow had surrounded them along with the forest. Stiles couldn’t help but smile to himself as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The gently breeze felt good on his skin and the smell of wild flowers dancing around him only brought him more ease. “I don’t know how we will do it sweetheart but we will find a place in this world where we won’t be judge by strength,” He whispered to his baby bump as he softly caressed his roundness.

Since arriving there, Stiles had fallen into a normal routine. In the morning he would take a walk through the small path in the forest until he arrived at the hidden meadow and worked to make a garden. In the afternoon after his walk and meal he would sit in the small porch, listening to the sounds of birds singing around him and let the breeze ease him to sleep. In the evenings, not being able to fight sleep he would just lay in bed talking to his baby until sleep consumed him.

Life felt so right and although he couldn’t help but feel guilty for running away even from his father, he felt at peace. Stiles was already just imagining spending the rest of his days I this little peaceful place along with his little girl. He wasn’t sure it was going to be a girl but something in his gut just told him, the baby was a girl. Of course, the more he thought about her the more he worried about things for her he would eventually need to go out of his comfort zone to get. Deucalion wouldn’t always be there for him, no matter if the man had given his worth he would. Stiles just couldn’t afford to believe it entirely.

**/A Week Later/**

Stiles was out in the forest trying to plant the little seeds Deucalion had gotten him before he had left him. It wasn’t an easy task when you had a giant belly covering your view of where you were walking or preventing you from crouching down enough to plant the seeds properly into the ground, but he was managing. He had managed to use a small shovel to help him kneel down on the ground. His clothes had quickly become dirtied since he had crawled around in the dirt not having the strength to get up and move and then kneel again.

If he had been werewolf he would have sensed the other werewolf that had appeared into the small clearing. But unfortunately he wasn’t, he was human and human meant he was oblivious to the man watching him go on about his gardening. “If you keep on it will only bring hard to the child,” A very monotonous voice said as he watched the small human struggle with a bit of amusement. Hearing the sudden voice startled Stiles and almost made him loose his balance.

Stiles turned his head towards where the voice had come from only to see a man, no a werewolf leaning against a tree. “W-Who are you?” Stiles said as he struggled to get up to his feet in case he needed to run from the man. A hand wrapped around his forearm and helped lift him up to his feet. Stiles eyes couldn’t help but quickly follow the hand up to the face he had seen just moments ago. A light brown hair fell around the man’s pale face while grey eyes looked at him with concern. A slight blush crept onto Stiles face at the close proximity the man was holding him with. He wasn’t sure whether he should thank the man or not, but the moment he parted his lips to talk the man spoke up, “What is a Hale’s mate doing in Jordan Valley without his mate?”  

“I am not a Hale’s mate!” Stiles yelled out angrily at the man, forgetting that he was a werewolf and if he annoyed him it could possibly end in his early dismiss. “Oh, really then why do else do you carry a Hale’s pup?” The man asked as he let his hand slide off the boy’s arm. Stiles couldn’t help but frown at the question. He wanted to say it was a mistake, but that would mean that his baby was a mistake as well and she wasn’t one. It was a mistake that he had allowed himself to delude himself that the alpha had loved him that he had mattered to them. When in reality it wasn’t like that. “It’s complicated…” Stiles said honestly not wanting to tell a strange alpha of how it was he had come here.

Alexander, the blonde grey-eyed werewolf, didn’t miss the look in the boy’s eyes when he asked him about his child. It was hard not to miss, that look just screamed hurt, pain, and loss. Something he knew all too well, and for some reason the alpha inside him urged him to comfort the boy that called to it. Alexander couldn’t really understand it fully but he knew that to see those beautiful honey eyes smiling at him. So he didn’t push the topic further, instead he walked over to the small garden that was beginning to sprout. “I don’t know much about gardening, but if you show me I can help you raise it.” Alexander said unsure whether ‘raising it’ was only meant for the garden.

Besides his baby bump Stiles hadn’t had company in a few months and after being assured that the strange alpha meant no harm he was all too eager to teach him about gardening. It took a few minutes for Alexander to get the boy to drop his defenses and get comfortable with him but once he was he found the boy to be all the more interesting. Who knew a human could be so smart and out spoken.

As the weeks went by, Alexander couldn’t help but take notice all these little things that made the boy, he knew as Genim, so unique and desirable. He couldn’t nor would he deny his attraction for the boy.

They had just finished tending to the guarded, well Alexander had, mostly because Genim easily tired due to his baby weight. Genim had been sitting down with his back against a tree and a cup of tea in his hands as he watched Alexander tend to the garden without him. Occasionally he would correct the man he had grown to consider a friend, since he was pretty much useless when it came to gardening despite how hard he had tried to teach him. It just wasn’t his strongest point.

“Don’t drown my tree,” Genim called out to him as he watched him focus the water on the small little apple tree growing. Alexander couldn’t help but scoff before moving towards the tomatoes, “I’m not.” He said before deciding he had watered enough for one day. It hadn’t been long but the plant were starting to grow, giving some live back to the dug up ground. Alexander went over to join Genim beside the tree. Sitting down beside him, he let their sides touch with his other hand reached over to caress the swell of his stomach. He didn’t move away when Genim’s weight shifted to rest against him. “Thank you, for doing this on your own today,” Genim said softly.

In the little time they had known each other, Alexander and he had shared so much about one another that it almost felt as if they had known each other all their lives. Genim knew that Alexander was the eldest son in his family and had just become the Alpha and ruler of Jordon Valley through a horrible battle forced onto him and his two other brothers. He knew that the battle for the lands and for their life still haunted the alpha’s memory but he was growing to cope with it. He knew that Alexander was unlike any other werewolf he had met before, yet he almost reminded him of Derek. Alexander had grown up in a detached environment, and reason was generation after generation of Jordan Valley rulers were cold hearted men. It was tradition to have sons and daughters fight for their right to live and rule the lands, so emotions was something that had to be beaten out of them so it would not stand in there way during the fight. A very horrible tradition, which Alexander was currently trying to change. He knew that despite being the victor of said battle, all the alpha wanted was to be free of it and have a normal life. Not that Genim could blame him, he had also felt trapped once… But it made him happy to know that he could provide Alexander with a little sense of normalcy that he so desperately desired.

“How much longer until she is born?” Alexander found himself asking as he raised his eyes from Genim’s belly and came up to meet his eyes. “Any day now,” Genim said as his gaze softened and his heart leaped in happiness. Alexander couldn’t help but smile at the pure happiness and excitement that shown in the boy’s face. He had gained his trust in a matter of days and been confined in with his misfortune. Although Alexander didn’t know the Hale alpha, he couldn’t help the anger that rose in him when he thought of him and what he had done to Genim. But he couldn’t say he was all that angry, Genim was with him now after all.

“I have some business in a different territory that I need to tend to,” Alexander said as moved the arm that was pressed against Genim’s arm and wrapped it around him, “but while I’m gone, you should stay in the cabin.” He couldn’t help the panic that started to consume him, “H-How long will you be gone?” He had grown so accustomed to having the man with him, and now that he was going to need someone when his daughter was born he was going to leave him. “For a few days, I promise I will return as soon as I can,” Alexander said as he pressed his lips against Genim’s forehead in attempt to ease the boy’s mind. He knew how scared he was at the idea of being alone while birth. He didn’t blame him, it was the most vulnerable time for a mother and her pups. If he hadn’t been requested personally by the leader of the other territory he would have sent someone else in his place.

“I made you a promise, Genim, and I plan to see it through,” Alexander said softly as he slowly leaned down to capture his lips in a kiss. The kiss was tender and sweet, but it did a lot to shock Genim. He didn’t know what to do, if he should return it or not, but instinct slowly took over and he found himself returning the kiss with the same tenderness he was being given. Hands slowly found their way around Alexander’s neck, pulling him as close to Genim as they could with a baby bump. When they finally pulled away neither of them could avoid the awkward silence that fell around them.

He probably shouldn’t have done it, but his control was slipping. He had been keeping his attraction for the boy to himself and it was driving him crazy to have him so close yet pretend these feelings, these urges, weren’t there. Even his wolf cried out for the little human that had grown on him in the matter of weeks. Alexander knew that Genim would never fully be his, for his soul had already been claimed by another, but yet no proof claimed that his body or his mind had been fully claimed by one and that was more than good enough for him. He didn’t care that he would forever share him, he still wanted to share his life with him. “Genim…” Alexander said breaking the silence between them, “When I come back, there is something I want to ask you.”

He didn’t tell him what it about nor hinted anything, he had just wanted to make sure the boy knew he had something of great importance to ask him. Genim had escorted back to his house before Alexander had left him for who knows how long it would be.

When morning came Genim tried to go on about his normal routine before he had met Alexander, except for tending to the garden. Instead he spent the morning sitting on the porch swing listening to the birds singing and enjoying the tranquility the forest could bring. But that peace was cut short when his baby started to kick him like her little life depended on it. He thought he was going to pee himself if he didn’t get up from the swing, but the moment he did he felt an immense pain come from his lower region. “O-Oh no…!” Genim cried out as he felt himself between his legs. “N-No, no, no it’s too soon… Alexander just left yesterday…” He cried as he tried to suppress the pain that was coming every few minutes. He slowly made his way inside were he could lay down.

He barely made it back into his room when he felt the urge to push come. Sweat was quickly forming on his forehead, making his hair stick to his face. “Ahhh!” Stiles cried out as he struggled to fight the urge long enough to free his lower half free of the pants. Getting his pants and underwear yanked off surprised him, but when he saw Alexander sitting between his legs brought some ease to him. “Y-You came back…” Genim said with a half-smile before gripping tightly to the sheets as the urge returned making him scream out in pain as he pushed. “I had a feeling I had to come back,” Alexander said when Genim’s cry subsided before looking between his legs. It wasn’t a lie, he had just gotten up and left in the middle of signing the agreement with the other territory saying his mate was calling for him. He knew that with coming here he was jeopardizing and possibly lost his chance with making the trade with them but he hadn’t cared. All that mattered was coming back to Genim.

The sounds of Genim’s cries seemed to have gone for hours without end before he could really make out anything coming out of him. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at and it scared him…a little bit. Childbirth was not something men usually tended too, especially not men of his rank. It was guided by woman if not a man specialized in child birth. But he was no specialist, all he could do was encourage him and be there for him through this so called miracle that was childbirth. Incoherent curses slipped out of Genim’s mouth, but all that slowly faded and was replaced by the cry of the child that had literally slipped into his hands.

A dark fuzz covered her hair, little hands flailed around as her legs kicked around with little force. She was absolutely beautiful to him and he almost hated handing her over to her mother. When she was placed into his hands Genim couldn’t help but let out a small cry of joy. She was finally here with him, the little company he had along waited to meet. “I’ve waited so long to finally meet you little Scarlett,” Genim said speaking softly as he pulled the child closer to his chest almost out of instinct to try and comfort the crying child. As Alexander cut the cord with his claws he noticed the little mark on the child’s back peeking out from under Genim’s arm. The symbol of Hale linage was clearly placed in her back, as if reminding him that this little girl was not his and Genim wasn’t either.

“Thank you, for keeping your word,” Genim said as he stretched out a hand to take hold of Alexander’s, and unknowingly easing his mind. “Be my mate, Genim,” Alexander said all too suddenly, making Genim’s eyes go wide in shock. “In the last few weeks you’ve made me the happiest man alive, and I want to do that for you as well. I want to continue to there for you and Scarlett for the rest of our lives because I love you.”

Genim didn’t know what to say. He cared for him so deeply and knew that he could trust Alexander with their lives. But the fear of falling into this only to have it turn out like it had with Derek made him feel uncertain. “Yes,” Genim said before letting a smile settle onto his face, “Yes, I’ll your mate.” A smile crept on Alexander’s lips before he placed a gentle kiss to his soon to be mate’s lips.

He deserved to be happy, to move on like everyone mostly like had, and if Alexander could give him that than he was more than willing to let him.  He just wanted to be loved and respected like he knew he deserved.

**/Two Years Later/**

Genim didn’t think he could grow to love his mate, but he had. Perhaps not as deep as Alexander felt towards him but yet it was enough to have mated with him and given birth to their own babies. They had mated as soon as Genim had felt well enough to go on about his business after giving birth to Scarlett. Of course, Alexander had loved the little girl like if it was his own. Although it had taken a time for Scarlett to warm up to the man that would soon be her father, that hadn’t stopped Alexander from holding her whenever he got the chance too.

Three months after Genim had given birth to Scarlett, he and Alexander had started going through the mating ceremony and the memory of it still made him blush. After their mating, they moved into the alpha’s home. While he wasn’t fully accepted by the pack, they had never once harmed him nor threaten him or his daughter. It didn’t change the fact that he felt a little out of place, however, Alexander’s parents were the most accepting of him. The kindness and quick acceptance by both had made him feel suspicious of them and wondered if it was just a show. But as time went on, neither did anything to make him feel threatened and his defenses slowly dropped.

What made him love the man even more how great he had turned out to be with Scarlett. Even though it wasn’t his daughter, he had made it clear that despite being the daughter of a different man, she was his. Yet, everyone knew very well who’s daughter she really was, the mark embedded in her back made it impossible to hide her true parentage. But slowly people of Jordan Valley accepted both Genim and Scarlett.

It was only when Scarlett had turned one that Alexander brought up the subject of children. Genim was a bit skeptical about having more children, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to have more and give his husband more. He had already proved to be a great father to Scarlett but there was just something eating away from at him. A nagging feeling deep within him was telling him not to. However, three months later he was holding twin boys in his arms. Vladimir and Logan, were very much like their father. Dark blonde hair covered the infants head, grey eyes were a little glazed with sleep, and skin almost as pale as their moms. Vladimir was the eldest of the twins and the only one who demanded most of his father’s attention, unlike Logan who didn’t care who gave him attention he just wanted attention. When the twins turned 4 months old, Genim found himself to be pregnant once again with Damion.

He was happy, he really was. His family had grown by three and yet despite being happy to have little balls of joy to love and give his attention too. He couldn’t help but feel there was something missing. Perhaps that void within him was what prevented him from fully loving his mate the way he wanted him too. Scarlett was the only one of his children whom could relieve some of the pain of that aching void within. It didn’t mean he loved his other children any less, it just meant Scarlett was his anchor. Especially after accepting the bite from his husband, Scarlett had proven to be that for him.

Things had changed after that, Alexander had started to act weird. His attentions towards Scarlett had reverted to Vladimir, Logan, and Damion. He didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed it sooner, but he was starting to see it.

It was one afternoon when he had taken the children out to get some fresh air. Damion had been kidnapped by his mother-in-law, who was sitting on a blanket within the garden. Alexander was playing with Vladimir and Logan, trying to urge the two boys to walk on their own. “Alpha,” the sweet little voice that belonged to Scarlett said as she tried to get Alexander’s attention but it hadn’t come. Alexander had ignored her and focused on his boys, “Come on you can do it.” He cooed at the boys. His daughter had taken the hint and walked off with a little frown on her lips. Why had ‘daddy’ suddenly become ‘alpha’? How long had this been happening? 

He got up from his place on the porch and walked over towards the small pond where Scarlett was digging her dull nails into the grass. He had never seen his daughter cry, well not since she was a baby. She had been his first baby so he had been extremely attentive towards her to make sure that happy smile never left her face for anything in the world. “Oh sweetheart come here,” He said as he lifted her up in his arms and kissed her head. Little hands wrapped around his neck as silent sobs left her. And it just kept getting worse.

“She isn’t my daughter,” Alexander had growled out at Genim one time when he had confronted him about what was up with his sudden change. “You knew she wasn’t when you asked me to be your mate!” Genim couldn’t help but retort, “That didn’t bother you then, so why now?” “You love her and give her more attention than you do to our kids,” Alexander said narrowing his eyes at the toddler in his mate’s arms. “That is not true! I love all of my kids the same,” Genim said sounding a little hurt at the accusation. “Then prove it!” Alexander said pushing past his mate and returning to his study room.

He didn’t know why the change happened or why he had accused him of loving Scarlett more than he did the rest of his kids. The twins slept with them and so did Damion. And since Damion was the baby and still he smothered him with attention like he had with the rest of his kids when they were this cute and little. Heck he still did it.

“There is no way I am going to sit here and let that child become the heir to my family lands! She doesn’t belong here,” Alexander growled growing bitter and bitter by the day. His accusations didn’t stop there he even went as far as almost hitting Scarlett but Genim had always put him in his place. But one night, he was abruptly woken up by the screams of his little girl, “Mama!” “Scarlett?” He said as he jolted up from his bed. He looked around the room only to see Alexander missing from bed. It was the sound of a loud crashing sound that made him rush to his feet and race towards his daughter’s room. When he opened the door he saw his daughter’s dressed knocked over while a red-eyed Alexander clawed at the small door that lead to his daughter’s play room. He didn’t have to question the intent in his mate’s mind nor could he stop the amber glow in his eyes as fangs replaced dull teeth and a feral growl escaped him. 

Genim jumped at his mate and dug his claws into his back, at the moment his mind couldn’t register the alpha as his mate nor did he care. All he knew was that if he didn’t kill this alpha he would surely end the life of his child. Sharp claws dug right through the body of the alpha forcing the alpha to fall to his knees. Alexander put up a fight trying to push his mate off him but an enrage mother is close to impossible to stop when the life of their child is threaten. The sounds of growls and agonizing cries attracted unwanted attention throughout the estate. Numerous of guards and even Alexander’s parents crowded into the room. The surprised look in their eyes at finding their son dead and Genim standing in the room glaring daggers at them drenched in Alexander’s blood made the parents growl. It had become a blood bath and none of it was coming from Genim.

**~END OF FLASHBACK~**

“Alexander’s parent’s tried to kill her but she had become strong enough and easily killed them. The people in Jordon Valley were torn about the loss of the Clan’s leader’s but they were all quick to accept her as their new alpha.” Scarlett said as she looked away from the window and to her father who had an unreadable look on his face. It was a mix of anger and hurt.

Derek wanted to comfort his daughter but he wasn’t sure they were quite there to where he could do something as hug her without it being slightly odd. “This is my fault, I shouldn’t have let your mother leave.” Derek said as he laced his fingers together and let them rest over his mouth. He shouldn’t have ever left without telling Stiles that night before he disappeared. The truth was he couldn’t bring himself to wake him from his peaceful slumber. He had left with the pretense of returning home before morning, but the task had taken him more the just a couple of hours to settle and because of it he had hurt Stiles and his daughter had suffered the consequences. He couldn’t help but fall deeper in this painful guilt feeling inside of him that he should have done more to protect Stiles like he should have when he first welcomed him into the pack.

“It wasn’t your fault father,” Scarlett said giving her father a sympathetic smile as she reached over to hold his hand before adding, “It was the packs instinctual behavior since she was indeed an omega.” Derek returned the smile with one of his own while his hand gave a gentle squeeze to hers. Despite everything, Scarlett was somewhat happy her mother had left Beacon Territory, she wouldn’t have been able to forgive herself had she treated her mother with that primal instinct about omega treatment embedded with her being. “Mom’s not an omega anymore, she’s the strongest alpha I’ve ever known,” Scarlett continued.

Derek couldn’t help but smile a bit at that, from what his daughter had told him it was obvious his mate was an alpha, and strong considering this ‘Alexander’ guy had indeed killed two of his own siblings and not to mention he had taken down some of the pack just to protect their daughter. It pained him just to think about it. He had missed so much time of their live while another man (men) had gotten a taste of what it was like to be a father to **his** daughter. Which reminded him, “What happened with the other two mates your mother mated with?”

Scarlett couldn’t help but let go of her father’s hand as she backed away from him just a bit. “Ah, well,” Scarlett began as she brought a hand up to gently comb her fingers through her hair. “I’m listening,” Derek simply said as he motioned for his daughter to continue. “It’s kind of hard to explain since mother hardly spoke about what she did on her free time.” She said half lying. What could she say? Her mother went on a killing spree?

“What do you mean?” Derek asked a little confused by his daughter’s hesitation and obvious lie. “Mom did some very bad things ever since Alexander died,” She said with a small sigh as she brought her feet up to her chest.

**~FLASHBACK~**

A year later after the death of Alexander, word got out of his sudden death and soon, the surrounding territory that had once been loyal to Jordan turned their back on it and claimed they would not let the widowed mate of Alexander take control of such fruitful lands. So they declared war on Jordan Valley. Since Genim had killed quite a number of werewolves in his blind rage to protect his daughter he had to get creative for if they attacked his children and the people of Jordon Valley would be in danger. So he decided to raise an army of werewolves, and turned all that wished to join him in protecting Jordan Valley. He had not expect a lot of people to actually join, but they had. Men and Woman were all willing to die to protect their families and homes.

“Mama,” Scarlett cried as she clinged to Genim’s chest. Ever since her near death experience she had been so traumatized that she hardly like being away from him. “I know sweetheart, but mommy has to go. I have to protect you and your brothers from all harm.” Genim said speaking softly as he wrapped his arms tightly around her little frame. The sudden whimpers of his boys made him pull them into the hug and kiss their little heads. “You four have to take care of each other while I’m gone,” He said as he pulled his children away from him before looking at the maid who had proven her loyalty to him. “I trust you will take care of them,” Genim said with a small smile before giving his kids one last hug before leaving, despite his little girl’s cry calling to him. He had to do this in order to secure their safety but that didn’t mean he was prepared for it. He had never been mentally prepared for the brutality that was a war.

When word had reached them of the war being declared to them by the seven former allies of Jordon Valley, Genim had quickly sent the volunteer soldiers to train for it. He wanted them to be prepared for what was to come. Of course, with how beautiful their leader, Genim was, a powerful wizard was quickly attracted to him. However, with just losing a mate, Genim’s head was not willing to accept another man in his life but what the wizard had offered him I return for Genim’s hand was hard to reject.

“Marry me, and I will train your soldiers to use magic. The war will be an easy victory for your people.” The wizard had said with a sly smile as he bowed to him showing his respect for the one who was in charge of the lands. “Magic?” Genim repeated almost if considering it. “Yes, and I will grant you immortality and your children as well.” The wizard said as he rose his gaze up to meet his. The mention of his children had Genim’s eyes turning a blood red in anger as if the man, no the wizard, had threatened his children. But the quick reassurance that he would not harm them made him ease. “Is marriage enough for you?” Genim asked wondering if the wizard had another motive for offering his help. “Yes, that and the wonderful company of such a beautiful creature such as yourself.” The wizard said giving him a wide grin. Unlike Alexander who was very emotionless the wizard was the complete opposite, and that was something Genim was soon to find out.

Genim thought about it for a while before looking at the werewolves who had been present, none of them looked kin on using or being taught how to use magic. ‘It’s not a werewolf thing’ one had whispered to another. Of course it wasn’t a werewolf thing, and that’s exactly why they would expect it. Genim had accepted and easily convinced his people that this a good choice, they would win without having to sacrifice a majority part of their people.

It took nearly a 9 months for the wizard to have thousands of werewolves well skilled in magic, he said it was easier for them to learn since being a creature gave them a natural born talent which only needed to be trained to use. And in those 9 months Genim and the wizard had become acquainted with one another. If Genim was honest, the wizard’s honesty and lack of discretion was very…distracting. The groping and stolen kisses were making his blood boil and made his heart skip beats. He fell in love to easily, was his conclusion. No, he lusted too easily, nice words and small touches was enough to trick his heart.

One night as they marched towards the first territory, Genim and the wizard had a heart to heart. “Are you happy?” The wizard had asked being ever so serious, the most he had ever seen him, “with the way your life has turned out? With me?” Genim was a bit surprised at the question, he knew the wizard was wise but the answer to that question he already knew it… “I don’t know,” Genim said with a small sigh as he balled his fist against his chest. So much had happened and he had forced himself not to think about it to much so he could be able to forget and try and move on. But there was times he allowed himself of how much, dare he say it, missed them. “It’s alright to be honest, I know your answer anyways.” The wizard said with a sad smile before adding, “I am a wizard after all, I knew you before I even met you. I know you won’t ever be able to let go, not as long as that void in your soul remains unfilled.”

He couldn’t help but widen his eyes as he gapped his mouth open and closed. How the hell had he known about that? He didn’t remember ever telling him about that, or anyone else for that matter. “I feel it, unlike everyone else,” the wizard said as he looked away from Genim and looked forward, “That void is because an alpha already claimed the most important part of you….your soul. A bond like that can’t be easily filled with no matter what other male you decide to give your body and mind to. Whoever it was, he was extremely lucky to have it. I have to say I am a little jealous.” The wizard said trying to give Genim a small smirk.

He hadn’t even had time to fully process that or give a reply when one of his beta’s had yelled out “Mistress!” A panther demon had jumped down from the trees, initiating the war between the Panther tribe. Claws were quickly drawn and began to slash at every panther demon. A war that had quickly ended within a three a day’s time. Genim had once again killed the rulers of the Panther tribe and anyone who had dared to challenge him. With each death he felt like he was sucking their strength and growing stronger than before.

Slowly territory after territory fell under the hands of Genim and his werewolves. It wasn’t until they reached the land of the Kanimas did they receive help from a smaller pack of werewolves. No one had cared that they had to share their victory with another pack, until the Kanimas had fallen and like before Genim had claimed the lands as his own and the people spared had willingly joined his ever growing pack. “Who would have thought, little defenseless Stiles would become a great alpha?” the familiar voice of Deucalion said as he emerged from the crowed. Genim’s pack growled at the strange wolf who had dared to talk to their alpha so casually, but when they saw their alpha jump towards the other alpha and wrap him I an embrace did the growls stop. “Deucalion!” Genim greeted with a huge grin. “Nice to see you too Stiles,” Deucalion said with a grin before looking around them “Is there anywhere we can talk more privately?”

It wasn’t long since they found themselves in Genim’s private tent, just Deucalion, Genim, and The wizard. “When I heard rumors about a widowed avenger, I never imagine you’d be it.” Deucalion said as he took a seat on the piles of blankets. “Huh? What do you mean?” Genim said honestly confused. “Well, people call you by different names you know. Widow Avenger, Black Knight, Dark Mistress, but my favorite has to be The Immortal Queen. Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it, Stiles?” Deucalion said before grinning. “Don’t call me Stiles, I go by Genim now.” He said as he glared at Deucalion before adding, “Why did you come anyways? I thought you said you were going to claim other territories or whatever.” “Yeah, it’s kind of hard when the Hale pack has an obsession with finding you. That’s why I came here, I need your help.” Deucalion said as he poured himself a glass of water.

It took less than a minute for Genim to realize just what that meant to him, “You’ll lead them right to me! How could you be so reckless?” The wizard who had been silent finally found his voice, “Then should I suggest something?” Both alphas looked towards the wizard with questioning eyes. “Since it’ll be easy to track you down with all this technology, why don’t we blow the towers and force them back to their primal instincts.” The wizard, Artemis, said as he looked at both. Deucalion’s face cringed in obviously against it while Genim grinned. “We’ll do that, and if they are still like I remember them. It’ll take time for them to adjust.” He said before telling the wizard to gather somewhere wolves and head out to destroy them.

It had taken them another year for the victory to be won by Jordan Valley, and rumors of the queen had spread even more like wild fire. It was because of his growing pack that Genim was being referred to as ‘ _her_ ’.

She had after all been the figurative woman of the late ruler of Jordan Valley, Alexander. And now she was to be the figurative ‘woman’ to the wizard, Artemis. Deucalion had returned to Jordan Valley with Genim and her pack, as honored guest, and now addition to her pack. “How the little girl?” Deucalion couldn’t help but voice his thoughts. “She’s doing well, you’ll love her,” Genim said as her smile softened at the thought of her little girl. “Actually, I was hoping I got to see you again,” Genim confessed as she looked at Deucalion, “I wanted to ask you to be her god father. After all, if it weren’t for you I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to give birth to her.” Deucalion couldn’t help but smile, he had a grown to have a soft spot for Stiles, as he said “I’d be honored too.”

It took them about a month to return to Jordan Valley, but when they did she wasted no time in seeking out her children. Two years was longer than she had expected to be away from them, but she was glad it had not been longer. When found them Scarlett, who was now nearing 6 years old, was playing by the pond poking her little finger in its waters to scare off the koi fish. While Vladimir and Logan, who were now 4 years old, were having a semi-nice game of tag. Her youngest Damion, who was now nearly 4 years old, was sitting on a blanket eating away at a banana. It was Scarlett who had first recognized her and a huge smile had slipped onto her face as she ran towards her screaming in joy, “Mommy!” Genim couldn’t help but let tears roll down as she caught her little girl in an embrace. After her Vladimir and Logan shortly followed screaming out their own varies of cries for their mommy. Damion, however, cried in his place unwilling to get up but still wanting to be near his mommy, just held his hands out for her. “Oh I missed you four so much,” Genim cried out as she went to pick up Damion in her arms before pulling the rest of her kids into a group hug.

It wasn’t until Deucalion walked into the gardens that the small family pulled away. “Mommy who’s that?” Scarlett asked as she looked warily at Deucalion, almost in distrust. “It’s alright sweetheart, Deucalion is your god father.” Genim explained to her little girl when she saw Scarlett push closer to her in attempt to feel the security a mother could provide. “God father?” Scarlett repeated as she looked towards her mother, who just nodded at her with a gentle smile. After their small introduction, it didn’t take long for Scarlett to warm up to Deucalion. Genim often found her little girl following Deucalion everywhere he went asking him questions and begging to be trained to be a good fighter like her mommy.  

Even when Artemis returned with his mission fulfilled as asked by Genim, things were at peace once again. But that peace wasn’t to last. Much like Alexander, Artemis had vowed to protect Genim and his kids. He trained them all to use magic and helped them perfect it.  Their marriage had followed in the next spring, and the intimacy that they had to share to finalize their mating had resulted in Amaya. A cute little girl with dark eyes and beautiful brown hair much like her father’s, born half wizard and half werewolf. 

Amaya was barely starting to walk when Artemis had gone mad. Some said it was a vision that drove him over the edge but Genim new better. Like Alexander, who could not stand to play father to a daughter of a Hale, had also attempted to kill the four children that were not of his flesh and blood because he wanted to ensure his daughter with the great Queen would be the heiress of power and lands. In the time he had stayed in Genim’s home as her husband, he convinced a hand full of werewolves to be his followers. And just like last time, Genim’s motherly instincts and desire to protect her young resulted in Artemis’ death. His followers were captured and executed before the public, as a reminder of what would happen if they ever betrayed him or had thoughts of harming her children. Of course none of her children had been present for any of this. That she had made sure of.

**~END OF FLASHBACK~**

That war sounded so familiar to Derek. He knew he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn’t place his finger on it until his daughter had went on with her story. That’s when he knew just where he had heard it. During the time they had chased down Deucalion, rumors of a powerful woman was being whispered around. No one had dared to say it out loud in fear of what speaking her name would do, but never had it occurred to him that it would ever be Stiles they had spoken off.

“I know all of the bad things they say about my mother. That she’s a cold-blooded murderer, heartless, and power-hungry,” Scarlett said with a sadden tone in her voice, “But it was all to protect us.” Her mother was the greatest person in the world in her eyes. She was caring, kind-hearted, loving, and compassionate, just like every mother should be. She was her hero. But just like her mother, she too felt a void in her chest. Her father, the one man she had been denied the chance to meet was missing from her life. While her brothers and sister had their time with their fathers, they didn’t long for them anymore. They understood their fathers were bad men, and didn’t blame their mother for killing them (much to Stiles relief). But she, she couldn’t be at peace with what was given to her about hers.

_‘Your father was just as bad as your brothers and sister’s fathers.’ Deucalion had said when she had asked him one day about hers._

_‘What did my father do to mother? Is he dead too?’ A 11 year old Scarlett had asked her god father while they rested under a tree after a long day of training._

_‘No, he’s not dead, but he might as well be.’ Deucalion had said as he crossed his arms against his chest._

_‘What did he do?’ She repeated as she inched closer to her god father curious to know what her the story of her father’s betrayal was._

_‘Your mother never told me much, but from what I know your father never loved her. He just hurt him out of pleasure and let his pack do the same. So, your escaped him,’ Deucalion said letting the silence settle between them._

Scarlett had been angry for a while, when she had heard that, but the urge to see the man didn’t stop her curiosity leave things there. She had questioned her mother as well but she had never gave her answers only a very clear warning to never seek the man out for he was a bad man. It wasn’t until she turned 13 years old did her mother truly trust her with the truth, sparing her the details of how she was conceived. She was left confused why her father had allowed such harsh treatment towards her mother. But in the world she had grown up with, where every man, child, woman, and creature were considered equals under her mother’s rule she would never understand. It wasn’t until she decided it was time she met the man she had longed to meet, that she truly learned the reason.

Victor, her recently deceased mate and werewolf, had kept to usual werewolf customs. It was with him that she learned that her father and his pack had done what was instinctual to them. Her mother was an omega, the treatment in a traditional werewolf pack was as her mother had the misfortune of having. While she disapproved of it, she couldn’t help but understand her father and feel guilty for once hating the man.

But now she was here, in front of him and he was everything she had imaged her father to be. Strong and Kind, despite being silent and always scowling. He wasn’t a bad man, he was a good man.

“That sounds like him,” Derek couldn’t help but smile even though it pained him internally to even think about everything Stiles had to go through. “I know he wouldn’t harm anyone, but he loves you all too much to risk losing you. You and your siblings are all he has left so I can understand why he took extreme measures to assure your safety,” Derek said honestly. His mother had been the same way with them whenever a threat was near.

He didn’t even dare to ask about Stiles third mate, now knowing the name which had been given to him by the people who feared him. He knew the story of the last man in Stiles life. He had heard the story countless of times, he didn’t need his daughter to confirm it to him since it would only further pain him.

From what he remembered Peter telling him, the last mate of the Queen had been a human. But unlike the last two mates of the Queen, this human had not betrayed her like they had. He had truly loved her kids and him, and unlike the other two, he had been the one who had actually been able to provide some relief to the Queen’s aching heart. She had truly fallen in love with the man. They spent three lovely years in each other’s company taking their marriage life slow and doing things right. A child, a human child, had been born to them. It was a strange happening, which was how word spread even faster. That child had been the target of many smaller packs to try and fight the Queen but of course, none had succeeded yet. Because of her instinct to protect her young, her husband grew wary of her. The numerous of threats to the youngest child of the Queen had resulted in the Queen expanding her domain even further, but of course she never traveled towards Beacon territory but that didn’t stop the Territories around them to be on alert at all times. So, one night the man had tried to kill her because she was far too powerful and too far of treat to people. The man never stood a chance, but word has it, the man had gotten a proper burial.

The Queen was Stiles… He had managed to forget him. That knowledge made Derek’s heart painfully sink. Whatever hope he had of reuniting with his mate and making things wrongs was close to impossible, he was almost certain of that.

As if reading his thoughts Scarlett let a small frown slip onto her lips, “Now do you understand why I have to leave before mother sends for me?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to update until now. Unfortunately, my laptop broke on me and I lost all my programming and documents, but luckily I always have a copy of everything on a USB drive :D!! So, after so long here is another chapter. Please, ignore all my grammatically wrong sentences and misspelled words, I did my best on my phone.

No matter how much she wanted to stay and try to regain every lost moment during childhood with him, she couldn't help but remind herself that she couldn’t. She was a woman, not a child. Even if she was still just 16.  
  
Although, it wasn't just that. She was afraid. Afraid that after getting to know him, she'll loose her respect for her mother, and that was something she didn't want. She loved her mother and respected her decisions and never had dared questioned her. She didn't want to start now.   
  
However, sitting here looking at her father, she could tell her mother had run away from something special. She didn't know how she knew it, but she believed it blindly. He was the true source of what could have been her mother's true happiness, and she had walked away from it.   
  
"Are you alright?" Derek couldn't help but ask. He had been pulled from his troubled thoughts by his daughters rising heartbeat. It was panicked, racing faster yet oddly calming as fast as he had spoken.   
  
"I'm alright, father. I was just thinking of mother and how mad she'll be," Scarlett said truthfully, there was no point in hiding her emotions. He would have been able to pick up on it anyways, but it hadn't been a total lie. Her mother really worried her. What would she do when she finally decided to　return home? She'd probably forever forbid her from leaving again, yet she wasn't sure she would obey. She had met her father, and wanted to continue knowing him. She still wanted her opportunity to have a father like her siblings had the luxury of knowing.  
  
"Dad, what happened between you and mom?" Scarlett said almost without realizing it. She wasn't sure that what she had asked had been what she had meant to ask. She knew what had happened between them, her mother had told her, herself. She supposed she wanted to know her father’s side of the story, and to at least give him the chance to defend himself. Her mother hadn’t been able to hear him explain himself, but she wanted to hear it now.   
  
A sigh escaped Derek's lips, despite being surprised by the fondness that 'dad' had been said with. It was her need to know the reason that had him sighing. "It was a misunderstanding," he found himself saying as he let himself relax in the single couch. It had been a misunderstanding. "I intend to ask him to be my mate that night, but he'd fallen asleep. Peter called, there had been a rising business with a nearby pack that needed to be tended too. I couldn't keep it on hold longer, so I left."  
  
He could remember that night like it was yesterday. It had been the first time he had wolfed out during intimacy with Stiles, though he wouldn't tell his daughter that. He had intended to mate Stiles then, but he had decided against it. He had wanted to tell him first how much he actually meant to him. How much he wanted him to stay by him, and clear the air about everything that was going on between them and the pack. Although he had said something like it to him during it, but like always Stiles had been too worn out after that he had fallen asleep.   
  
~~~

 

"I love you, Derek," Stiles had mumbled as his eyes had slipped closed.   
  
He knew those words were the truth, Stiles loved him. "I love you too," he whispered as he placed a kiss to Stiles bare shoulder. His hand had slipped around Stiles waist and pulled him closer until his back was pressed to his chest.　   
  
Stiles was a human living amongst them, and even though it put him in the worst possible position, he had stayed with them. With him. The mere thought of it had made Derek nuzzling into the crook of his sleeping mate-to-be's neck. Stiles had endured so much suffering for them. He would admit that at first, he had zero care for him, but slowly Stiles pushed his way into his heart, just as he slowly was pushed out of the heart of those who had initially loved him.

 

Isaac, Boyd, Jackson, and Erica didn't necessarily love Stiles like Allison, Lydia, and Scott did, but they hadn't hated him either. The things he had done to him had them protecting the weakest in their pack, but slowly they had stopped and realized this was 'instinctual behavior' towards the omega of the pack and soon began to act on it themselves. Even Allison, who was human just like Stiles.

 

 

 

 _It was when he started to notice what they had been doing to them, that he realized Stiles wasn't the weakest amongst them, but the strongest. He had held the weight of everyone and taken everything thrown at him without lashing out. Stiles didn't let it get to him and remained to their side, taking care of them and treated them like they were so important to him regardless._  
  
He was just getting comfortable besides his mate when the loud sound of his phone went off. His eyes shot open and immediately he had reached over to it and shut it off before it woke up Stiles. His eyes returned to Stiles, only to see he was fast asleep.  
  
"Derek?" He heard the voice on the other line say.   
  
Derek couldn't help but look back at his phone. It seemed he had answered the unwanted call without knowing. "What?" He said a little annoyed after hearing his name being said for a second time.  
  
"The Clarks want to discuss business." Said the familiar voice of his uncle Peter.  
  
Derek couldn't help but frown as his eyes wondered back to Stiles. "Can't it wait?"  
  
"You've put it off for too long, I'm afraid you can't anymore. They're not willing to wait on you anymore if you miss this meeting," Peter said with a sigh.  
  
"Fine," Derek said as he got up from bed.  
  
"And Derek, be on time." Peter warned before hanging up on him.  
  
"Derek," he heard Stiles say. For a moment he had thought, perhaps, he had woken him up. But when he leaned in, he saw Stiles was still fast sleep. He figured he must have been calling his name in his sleep.  
  
A smile spread on his face as he leaned in to place a kiss on Stiles lips before whispering, "I'll be back before morning."   
  
~~~~~~~  
"I had intended to be back before morning, but the meeting had taken longer then I had anticipated," Derek said letting out another sigh as his eyes drifted away from his daughter. "When I came back, Stiles had been missing for a few days." At the time he had been to mad that his pack had done very little to search for his mate, that he had lashed out at them. But now, he kind of thought that Stiles 'death' had been what the pack needed to make them go back to the people they had been before their instincts took over them.

 

Scarlett couldn't help but frown at what she was hearing. Her father had intended to mate with his mother, but an unfortunate event had altered their lives completely. "Life's really been unfair towards her," Scarlett couldn't help but say as a frown settled onto her face. Life's never really given her mother a break, had it? In a way she even thought that her and her siblings had been another reason for the many hardships that her mother had to endure.

 

"Mom," Scarlett said as her eyes lowered to the floor. She really wanted to tell her father that her mother still loved him, she knew that she did. There had been so many things that hinted it, but she also knew her mother was afraid of it. "She still l-.." Scarlett had began to say but had been cut off by the door opening and revealing her uncle Scott.

 

"I don't mean to interrupt, but they're done preparing and guest have begun to arrive," Scott said as he entered the room, not even waiting to be invited in.

 

Another sigh left Derek's lips as he stood up from his seat before looking at his daughter. Whatever she had intended to say about Stiles, was something he knew was something he should hear, but Scarlett didn't see to want to share anything about Stiles in front of anyone else besides him. "We can finish our talk later," he assured her before motioning to their current duty at hand.

 

She had given her father a small nod before saying, "Wait! Mother always says, we should look presentable for parties," she said before swaying her hand and making their attire change to a more suitable for the celebration in honor of their treaty.

 

Scott was impressed to say the least, that he couldn't help but say "Cool!" as he took in his suit. He had to admit this magic was coming in handy, and he couldn't help but wonder if that is how she had gotten her hands on the Hale Seal.

 

Derek, on the other hand, as impressed as he was he was unwilling to waste his time admiring his daughter's handy work. He had them out the door and in the ball room in less time then it would have if he had been like Scott, who was still checking out every pocket of his suit.

 

When they had walked in, the room was somewhat filled with both unfamiliar and familiar faces. He had recognized a few as old allies of his parents, while other's had been enemies. However, none he had thought of approaching either way. Instead, he had gone to get himself a drink, while Scott went towards the food. He had to hand it to the Yukimura's, the sure could pull a party together in a matter of hours.

 

Derek's thoughts had been brought to a halt when he heard his daughter's voice. "Dad, don't be such a sourwolf," she had said as she took a sip of her drink. "This is suppose to be a party in celebration on the treaty. You could at least pretend your happy about that," She had went on.   
  
"What did you call me?" Derek couldn't help but ask a little surprised. It had been so long and he had nearly forgotten about that word.   
  
"What? Dad?" Scarlett asked a little confused, then again she has called him 'father' up until now.  
  
"No the other thing," Derek said shaking his head. Whether she had decided to call him 'father' or 'dad' he didn't really care to notice the difference, they were both the same yet one was more fondly said. None the less, she was still his child and his wolf had accepted that.   
  
"Sourwolf? Well you are, lighten up, and I won't call you that," she said with a smile. It had been something that slipped out of her, but she could hardly help it. She understood that her father hadn't been the most sociable, but he should still make an effort and try and make acquaintances with other pack leaders for future possible alliances.   
  
"Hn," Derek simply said as a smile settled on his face. He could recall a time that Stiles teased him with that, knowing he hated it. But now, that little name had become a very fond part of his memory. He could almost imagine Stiles voice calling him by it with a huge grin on his face.  
  
 _'Don't be just a sourwolf.'_  
  
He had been to deep in thought that he had not noticed the Fox lord coming his way nor speaking to him until he heard someone say, "Right Derek?" as they nudged his side.  
  
"What?" Derek said coming out of his thoughts as he turned to face the person, only to see Lord Ken's face slowly turn into a frown. He had also notice his daughter had left his side and gone out to speak to the other guest.  
  
"You seem distracted tonight Derek," the lord commented before letting out another sigh, "and here I was giving a hearty apology." Although, he said it in a joking manner, the fox lord was really apologizing to Derek.   
  
"My apologies, Lord Ken. It's just been a while since I've been in a social gathering. It's a lot to take in after so long," Derek said half lying as he gave the lord a half smile. It was true, he hadn't been to a formal ball in more than 16 years, but his mind was just reminiscing in past memories of Stiles. His daughter walking into his life was bringing past memories to him and also opening old wounds.   
  
"That's right, since the death of your mate," Lord Ken said in a sadden tone getting the Derek's attention. The neighboring towns and ex-partners in trade with Beacon territory, had all heard of the tragedy that befell the young alpha. He had lost his mate, and was robbed of his wealth. A lot of other rumors had surfaced but none had been confirmed, but seeing the frown on the alpha's face made the fox lord feel guilty for reminding the young wolf of his loss, and he gave him a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry."   
  
"It's alright," Derek said giving the man a small smile. It really was alright, Stiles was very much alive, and that brought him great comfort. But it also pained him, so much time had gone by with them being apart and Stiles had never thought of returning to them, not even when known he had left his father behind. There was a bit of resentment he felt towards Stiles, but he could hardly blame him for keeping their daughter away from him or even staying away.

 

His gaze had reverted to his daughter, watching her as she made conversation with the Lord's daughter, Kira. She truly seemed accustomed to this world, but how could she not? She was a Queen's daughter. Stiles, on his own, had done a good job with their kid. He only regretted not knowing, or being their to see her grow up to the kid he was slowly getting to know now.   
  
"I have to say, she's a wonderful kid. You taught her well," The lord said when he had caught what Derek had been looking at. The young Hale, reminded him a lot of his dear friend Talia. So cheerful, yet empowering.   
  
"She takes after her mother," Derek couldn't help but let a soft smile slip onto his face. She had his looks, but the more time he spent with her the more she reminded Derek of Stiles. She had Stiles' personality, so full of life and strong willed.   
  
Lord Ken had to be a blind an to not notice how much Derek loved and still loved his deceased mate. The boy had to have been something great to still have him talking about him with such adoration. It was kind of endearing to Lord Ken, and it reminded him a lot of himself. No one else but Derek, knew how it was to feel the loss of a mate and still love them like the first time. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. "Come, I'll introduce you to some of the neighboring Lords." Lord Ken said finally pulling away from his own thoughts.  
  
Derek was dragged towards one particular group of men. One of them was holding a toddler, who also happened to be the first to notice them and the first to introduce himself.  
  
"I'm William," he had said offering a hand shake to Derek after readjusting his child in his arms. "This is Tommy," William had added after Derek had taken his hand in a firm hand shake. The child, Tommy, seemed to care about nothing else then the small medallion strapped around his father's neck. "Da-Da," Tommy had chanted over and over as his eyes stayed glued to the shiny medallion and his small hands seemed to trace the defined details on it.   
  
William mustn't have given himself justice with the simple introduction, because Lord Ken had decided to better introduce him as well as take the liberty of introducing the rest of the group to Derek.   
  
Apparently, William, who was also Kitsune, was well known for his riches and wines. After the over take by the Queen /Stiles/ liquor had stopped being brewed by machinery and had to be hand made once more. William had been one of the few who had learned to brew it by hand, and soon produced numerous of different fine wines. He had also developed a machine that had been man-powered to help with the brewing of the said wines. Liquor being well sought out, made the man very popular.   
  
The blonde besides him with a scar wound at the side of his neck, was introduced as James. He, like many others, had fought in a war against the Queen to foolishly try and protect their territories, which nearly costed him his life. After the numerous loss of his army, he fled his people to the sea. He appointed himself 'king' of the sea, since they've adapted to living on boats. He's also made a name for himself as a fisherman and trades with the majority of towns that have been left untouched by the Queen, providing them with food and seeds for their harvest now that the game is running low in certain territories. The scar on his neck, he swore had been made by none other then the Queen herself, which of course Derek knew it to be a lie since, the man had said she was a beautiful WOMAN with long black hair and blue eyes. But he did believe he was in war with Stiles' army, since his territory had been taken over by his and the war had well reached even his ears.   
  
The last man (Boy, really) was probably few years older then his daughter by the looks of it. He was introduced as Liam. The boy was here on behalf of his father, who was too old and ill to have traveled. They traded silks and clothing, and jewelry. The fact that they had been one of the few families that prided themselves on hand crafting each item since before the Queen had started to rise, had given them an upper hand in this rough times. Jems and Diamonds weren't cared much anymore, but many stilled liked to have them. With the times changing, the most valuable things to trade were the essentials like, food, water, land, protection, and alliances.

 

"I wan' mama," Tommy had whimpered once he had spotted his mother, and successfully interrupting their conversation on the rumors of The Queen expanding once more. The toddler was growing impatient the more the seconds rolled on by. He was even bending his body in the direction he had wished to go.   
  
"Mama's busy," William said to the boy unwilling to tare himself from the conversation.   
  
The child had Derek wondering if his daughter had given Stiles this kind of trouble. Had she been fussy? Or had she been a calm child? Thinking of his kid, had him looking around the room for her. He had been completely absorbed in the conversation concerning Stiles that he had completely forgotten about Scott and his daughter.   
  
He found both of them near the banquet table, his daughter was glaring at Scott and obviously scolding him. He concentrated on them and soon could pick up on their conversation.   
  
"Uncle Scott, we talked about this. What the hell are you doing?" He could hear her growl at Scott as she crossed her arms against her chest.   
  
"Getting food, why?" Scott said in the same oblivious tone he always has, as he picked up more food.   
  
"The foods not going anywhere, so stop piling up so much!" Scarlett scolded before adding, "Besides this is a former ball, and that's barbaric. Honestly, haven't you ever attended one of these?"  
  
"But I'm hungry," Scott nearly whined as his eyes look down at his plate then back up at the girl.   
  
"Seriously, werewolves and their bottomless stomachs," Scarlett said with a sigh as she flipped a lock of her hair back behind her shoulder.   
  
"Wha-...Hey! Your a werewolf too!" Scott counter said with a glare of his own.  
  
"Yeah, but I can control my wolf." Scarlett said with a grin as she feed herself piece of fruit she had taken from Scott's plate which had earned her a "Hey!" from Scott.  
  
~~  
  
As the night progressed, the group he had been introduced too, had further introduced Derek to their families. William had a rather large family and his mate was carrying their next child. The man, seemed very happy and proud of his family. His mate seemed to reflect the same content her mate spoke of them in.

 

James had introduced his mate, a beautiful siren woman he had found in sea. James' mate had been painfully sincere about what was asked about her. They didn't have but one child who was 8 years old, and every much of a rare beauty as his mother was.

 

Liam, had no one to present or to introduce to the group. The boy, had been indeed just a few years older then his daughter. He was but 22 years old, and was the eldest of his siblings. Although, he did rather tell them about his siblings and his family. The boy had no mate, nor intended mates.

 

They didn't seem interested on Derek's family, until his daughter and Scott came to join the group. That was when the questions had surfaces on who she was. Who her mother was. How old she was, and all these little questions people ask to know more about you. Which, honestly Derek had answered half of them, while the rest his daughter and Lord Ken had taken the liberty to answer.

 

In middle of talking about Stiles, and how sorry that none of them would ever get the opportunity to meet him. Derek caught Liam eyeing his daughter with the familiar gaze Scott had once given Allison in their youth. He was about to warn him to back off, when his daughter beat him to it.   
  
"My eyes are up here," Scarlett hissed flashing her alpha red eyes at him in warning. She had caught the man looking at her, and she had tried to ignore it and pretend she hadn't noticed him looking her up like a scrap of meat. But the more he stared the more she grew annoyed and lashed out. Which had the young man sheepishly grinning at her and apologizing in a way Scott had done.

 

"What a feisty young lady," They all suddenly heard a woman say, gaining everyone's attention and getting them to turn their heads her way.   
  
"Ah, Helena, glad you finally made it," Lord Ken was first to greet the werewolf woman. When Lord Ken had mentioned her name, Derek could faintly remember the annoying little girl his sister's used to entertain during their parents' parties.   
  
Scarlett hadn't missed the looks the woman had sent her father as she gave everyone a petty excuse on why she was late to the event. It wasn't like she was being subtle about her clear interest she had suddenly got towards her father.   
  
The woman's presence hadn't changed the conversation off Derek's deceased mate, but she had added another interesting topic. Derek's love life. Which did have the rest of the woman, except his daughter, questioning why he had not seeked another mate. Slowly the group had disbanded leaving, Derek, Scott, and Scarlett alone with Helena, who was only directing Derek.   
  
"You poor thing," the woman had said letting her hand rest on Derek's shoulder, "left alone to raise your daughter. That must have been so hard for you."   
  
Derek had no choice but pretend to be oblivious to what the woman was doing. "Not at all," He said simply as he bit down a growl. The woman was insufferable, and the scent she was giving off to let him know she was interested made it just that much more unbearable.   
  
"I'm retiring for the night father," Scarlett said as she turned to leave without waiting for a reply. She had had enough, her father was entertaining the woman far to long for her liking. A part of her felt, like he was disrespecting her mother, but another part of her reminded her that her father was free to mate again, just like her mother had, if he so wished too.   
  
A sigh escaped his lips when he heard his daughter revert back to using 'Father'. He knew she was upset, he could smell it coming from her. It made him smile at how similar it was to when Stiles was upset. He shook the thought from his head for a moment before looking towards Scott, "Walk her back." He had to make sure his daughter was taken care of.   
  
"Sure," Scott said as he took off in a sprint to try catch up to her, not bothering to question Derek's order.

 

It had taken some effort to cut the woman off in her rant about her interest in his life and trying to comfort him, but he had managed to break free from her. The moment he had escaped, he had been quick to find Lord Ken. "I still have business to tend to in my territory. I apologize this had to be a short visit." Derek said excusing himself from the party and his visit all together. He wanted nothing more than to return home.   
  
"You don't have to apologize," Ken had said with a smile as he took a sip form his drink. "It's actually been refreshing to see you after so many years. You know, you remind me a lot of my old friend." Lord Ken let out a small chuckle when he got no reply from his friends son. So decided to change the subject, "Lady Helena seems to have taken a liken to you." This time he got a response from Derek, a simple scoff. "Have you thought of mating again, Derek?"   
  
Derek was unsure whether the man was asking him or referring the thought to himself. Lord Ken, had lost his wife nine years ago to an attack by the Queen's enemies when they had been visiting a partner in trade. They had been mistaken as one of the Queen's people and attacked.   
  
"It's been a while since their deaths, don't you want to try and find love again?" The lord said with a blank stare as he gazed into his half empty glass. "It'd be good for you. Your still young, you can make a life with someone new."   
  
"Unless that person is Stiles, I don't want to seek it with anyone else," Derek said honestly as he looked at the Lord. Derek had, had, other partners before Stiles but he hadn't ever had, nor felt as strongly as he felt for Stiles for neither Page nor Kate. Page had been but a phase, and Kate had been a moment of lust that lasted longer then a one-night stand. Stiles, had been far more than anything he had ever anticipated. Stiles had given him everything he had and made Derek feel like he was the luckiest man to have had all of his firsts and to have had all of his love. He didn't fully understand it even now, but to him Stiles was a burning flame that gave life and meaning to everything he was. He had made everything worth it.   
  
"Stiles is gone, Derek. They won't be coming back," The lord said with a frown when the young wolf had spoke like his mate was still alive.   
  
"Maybe," He said with a sigh in defeat. 16 years was a long time, and he knew Stiles would probably never be the weak and defenseless Stiles he knew. In that time he's grown up on his own, and experienced many hardships. Who wasn't to say he's not the shell of the person he loved? "But a part of him returned to me," he said giving the fox lord a smile. Scarlett was half him and half Stiles, and it was the half that was Stiles that showed up more in everything that she did.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Since Derek had been gone to meet with the kitsunes over the offer they had sent Derek, Isaac had taken it upon himself to tidy up Derek's home. It was hardly a home in a sense, there was hardly anything to clean and the place was missing the small touches that made a place a home. Ever since the death of Stiles, Derek didn't really live at home. He tended to be out on patrol and in the woods most of the time, which most of them knew it was his form of distracting himself from this lonesome feeling.

 

It wasn't like the rest of the pack didn't feel it. They all felt the loss of Stiles, and how empty and broken they really were without him, but unlike Derek, everyone had a mate that distracted them and helped them cope with their pain and guilt. Scott had Allison, Erica had Boyd, Lydia had Jackson, and He had Peter. A sigh escaped him as he let his weight rest against the kitchen counter, like he often did within the kitchen. No matter how many times he cleaned it nor how often, the space that had been Stiles usual space, still held an essence and scent of Stiles. A small smile crossed his face as he took a big whiff of it.

 

 

'Did you come to help me?' Stiles said with a big smile as he looked towards Isaac.

 

The memory of how many times he had walked in to the kitchen to see what Stiles was doing was still fresh in Isaac's mind, but the more he reminisced in it the more Stiles' bright smile faded. There was so much he, and the rest of the pack, regretted.

 

 

'It's my fault he's gone, Peter,' Isaac had cried out as he curled up into himself. He had been the last to ever see Stiles alive, and the last one to have tormented him. Of course, this was his fault.

 

'This is all our faults, not just yours,' Peter had said to him, doing a very little petty job at trying to comfort him, but he wasn't wrong. Peter, knew he wasn't. Even he, who was born wolf, knew that the omega's weren't the best treated, yet just like everyone else he had let his instinct take over and maltreated Stiles in the same manner the rest had.

 

Derek, had been the only one strong enough to pull back and control himself, and remind himself that what they had done was wrong. Even Derek had blamed himself. If only he had seen how special Stiles was from the beginning, his pack wouldn't have suddenly turn the cold shoulder to him. Derek, as much as the rest had blamed himself.

 

Everyone had gone through a depression, and facing the sheriff had been the most difficult. The man had blamed himself for not noticing how much Stiles was suffering, but above all he blamed those he had trusted to keep his son safe. Scott had been the one to receive the man's hatred far worse then the rest.

 

'I wish I could have stopped myself, Peter, I knew what I was doing was wrong,' Isaac had cried into his chest when Peter had pulled him into his embrace. 'I-I just couldn't stop it,' he let out as his fingertips digged into his shirt. 'I-I'm so sorry..' he let out in a shaky voice.

 

'Me too, Me too,' Peter had let out in a whisper.

 

Isaac extended the cover's and with a swift movement, and watched as the sheets floated back down on the bed. The bed usually never was touched, but Joey sometimes liked to come and roll in the sheets to take in the comfort of his Derek's scent. The thought brought a smile to his face at the thought of Erica's and Boyd's little boy grinning at him. The smile didn't last long on his face when he heard a sudden small rustle sound coming from behind him. "Hello?" he had called out when it got silent again. Isaac had took a whiff of the air, trying to scent his surrounding but nothing stood out to him. When the small sound of movement reached his ears again, he took a step away form the bed and looked around until his eyes landed on the closet door. "Come out, already," Isaac had demanded as his claws drew out incase whatever was in there with him was a threat to him.

 

He was expecting Deucalion, or that girl that had been with him, but he had never expected to see a small boy stumbling out of the closet, scared out of his little mind. He had instantly felt bad when he saw the boy's eyes fill with tears and his bottom lip quiver, threatening to let out a cry.

 

"No, No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," Isaac had said as he lowered himself carefully to his knees to try appear less frightening. The little boy didn't seem to have understood his intentions, because he had backed away into the wall and let out a small cry as he said, "I want my mommy!"

 

"Oh..don't cry, I won't hurt you," Isaac had cooed trying to get the boy to stop crying, but to no avail. Not even when Isaac had said that he would help him find his mother, did it ease the boy's crying.

 

It was Isaac's distress on not being able to calm the boy that lead Peter and their son, Damion - who conveniently been having their father-son morning run near Derek's home- to come in to check why Isaac was distressed. "Mate?" Peter had called out as he stepped into the old Stilinski home. "Mom?" Damion had called out as he ran inside the house ahead of his father and was quick to locate him, before Isaac had called back with "Up here."

 

It wasn't long before Isaac and Peter were watching helplessly as their son calmed the boy and got him comfortable to talk to him. It was also when the boy stopped crying that both parents had noticed the uncanny resemblance the child had to their alpha, Derek. The boy had dark hair, dark brows, and the same green eyes, that their alpha had.

 

"Are you sure he isn't another of Derek's 'supposed' long lost kids?" Isaac had asked turning his attention to his mate. who was holding him from behind and rubbing soothing circles to his small round bump. They had decided it was about time to expand their small family of three, and Isaac couldn't have been happier about it. Peter, on the other hand had been more reluctant since he was dragged around the territory with Derek trying to find any source of food to feed the pack. But there was no doubt in Isaac's mind that Peter was just as happy as he was about it.

 

The question had Peter pulling away slightly from the attentions he was giving his mate. "No, I don't think so. From what I know Derek hasn't bedded anyone since he first met Stiles," Peter said with a smile. He, more than anyone, knew how much Derek loved Stiles and that alone let Peter know that his nephew was not stupid enough to taint the memory of his mate for a heated adventure. But turning his attention towards the pups, he couldn't help but feel a small ounce of doubt. The small child, after all, did resemble his nephew, but there was something odd about him.

 

Isaac had moved from Peter's embrace and went to finish his cleaning, or at least attempt to while their son watched over the small child. "I wonder how he ended up here," Peter said as he followed his mate to the bedroom where he finished making the bed at the very least. "I'm not sure," Isaac said smiling when Peter had moved to help him in his chores.

 

With Peter helping him, it didn't take them very long to finish the bedroom, then again there hardly was anything to clean. "Peter could you please throw this out?" Isaac had said as he handed Peter a bag of trash he had collected throughout the house.

 

"Su-..." He had started putting down the box that Isaac had made him move, but seeing his mate standing on a stood with a duster in hand pointed to the trash had him worried. "Would you get down before you fall?" Peter said as he made his way towards Isaac and motioned for him to come down.

 

"I'm almost done," Isaac protested as he moved to finished the one spot he had missed. Neither of them had noticed the kids venturing into the room until Isaac had dropped the box that held Stiles' family heirloom on his way down from the stool.

 

"You shouldn't touch that, Sammy," they heard their son scold the small child when he had picked up the necklace.

 

"It smells like mommy," the boy, who apparently was named 'Sammy', said with a near squeal as he nuzzled the pendent.

 

 


End file.
